Nylon and PET plastic pile carpet should be banned because of toxic chemicals added to them, according to the managing director of Australian woollen carpet company Supertuft.

In an open document, Greg Galt voices concerns over "toxic fire retardants" and stain resistant chemicals. "Carpets that have a toxic and non-biodegradable pile are accumulating on the floors of residences and offices all over the country," he warns. "When it comes time to replace these carpets, local municipalities and governments will realise that they have an environmental catastrophe on their hands."

Nylon is highly flammable and requires flame retardant chemicals to be added. Mr Galt is particularly concerned about per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFASs) added to carpets.

He draws attention to chemical substitutes that "may pose the same, similar or worse dangers to long-chain PFASs that have since been replaced by short-chain PFASs by some nylon manufacturers".

"Wool is naturally flame resistant, is a renewable resource and biodegradable once the product-life has expired," he adds.

In 2018, tests carried out on carpet samples from seven of Europe's largest manufacturers found they contained certain harmful chemicals, including phthalates and PFASs. However, the study report highlighted three carpets in which no toxic chemicals were detected.

Meanwhile, a US study identified toxic substances in 12 carpets tested from six manufacturers. The study detected PFASs in half of all carpet samples tested, while one carpet showed high levels of six different types of PFASs.

Courtesy: Chemical Watch