Recycled Content in Carpet Pads Brings Hazardous Chemicals

By Paula MeltonChoosing foam carpet pads with recycled content? Sounds good, unless some of that content includes a flame retardant no longer manufactured due to its toxicity and environmental persistence. A recent study by the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants found concerning levels of pentaBDE and octaBDE (which can affect neurological development and the immune system, respectively) in foam carpet pads with recycled content. Researchers found some amount of one or both chemicals in 88% of pads tested in the U.S., Canada, and Hungary; multi-colored pads were most likely to contain the toxic substances. The flame retardants are released in dust close to the floor, making infants and toddlers particularly vulnerable to exposure, according to a press release about the study. The full report is available at ipen.org.