Werner Braun

By Werner Braun, President, Carpet & Rug Institute
The purported link between the use of carpet and increased asthma and allergy symptoms continues to be a problematic issue for the carpet industry. It is particularly assiduous, first, because of the pervasiveness of the assumption that removing carpet is a good idea for asthma and allergy patients, and secondly, because the recommendation is based on no substantiated data, at least as far as I have been able to determine. How can you fight something that isn’t really there? Unfortunately, in the case of carpet and increased asthma and allergy, perception is reality. That is a difficult situation for a data-loving scientific type like me to swallow.

Doctors are interested in the quality of indoor air for their patients, specifically in the reduction or elimination of chemical irritants and airborne particulate. Carpet that is certified to the Carpet & Rug Institute’s Green Label Plus Indoor Air Quality standard is one of the lowest-emitting building products a homeowner can buy. Not only will synthetic carpet emit very low levels of VOCs, but industry research demonstrates that the period of active emission is extremely short-lived and virtually undetectable within 72 hours after installation.

Research confirms that carpet will hold more dust than hard surface floors. However, it also shows that, in contrast to hard surface floors, the dust in carpet tends to stay in place and out of the room’s breathing zone until it is removed by vacuuming. Furthermore, allergen, bio-contaminants and particulate levels have been repeatedly measured at lower levels over carpet than over hard surface floors. The body of research on carpet in relation to allergy and asthma symptoms is summarized in Dr. Mitchell Sauerhoff’s international literature review article, “Carpet, Allergy and Asthma, Myth or Reality?” Dr. Sauerfhoff’s paper is available on CRI’s website, carpet-rug.org, or through the CRI blog, criblog.org.

The carpet industry has long taken the position that clean, dry carpet is a beneficial choice for everyone, including allergy and asthma patients. The findings of a major medical research study called The Inner-City Asthma Project supports that stance. The study followed close to 1,000 inner city children with asthma and found their symptoms significantly improved when their caregivers made healthy changes in their home environments, including the elimination of tobacco smoke; regular vacuuming with a high-efficiency vacuum; and the removal of mold, insect and rodent infestation and pet dander. In contrast to researchers expectations, there was no difference in the improvement of symptoms between children from carpeted versus uncarpeted homes. Not only that, there was no difference in the levels of measured allergens in the two environments.

CRI and the carpet industry will continue to research and address indoor air quality and the alleged contribution of chemical irritants and airborne particulates as they affect allergies and asthma.