Determination of organic emissions from new carpeting

Technical Report · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:5549208

Pleil, J D; Whiton, R S

New carpeting has been the source of a number of indoor air health and odor complaints. Investigations of a variety of carpet samples have shown that there is a diversity of organic emissions among carpet types; some of the compounds found have been listed in the NIOSH Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances. The paper describes two complementary analytical methods for screening carpet samples: a 'headspace' method for volatile emissions and a Soxhlet extraction method using methylene chloride for the semi-volatile and non-volatile compounds. The analytical results from seven carpet types are presented with special emphasis on the compound 4-phenylcyclohexene, one of the causes of 'new carpet smell,' which has also been anectdotally linked to adverse short term health effects. Other compounds of possible interest that were found include dichlorobenzene, bis(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate, triethyl phosphate, epsilon-caprolactam, and methylene-bis(4-isocyanatobenzene).

• Research Organization: Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC (United States). Atmospheric Research and Exposure Assessment Lab.
• OSTI ID: 5549208
• Report Number(s): PB-91-183277/XAB; EPA--600/J-90/462
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AIR POLLUTION
AROMATICS
CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
CONTAMINATION
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
EXTRACTION
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
MATTER
METHYLENE CHLORIDE
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
PHTHALATES
POLLUTION
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLVENT EXTRACTION
TEXTILES
VOLATILE MATTER