Vinyl Flooring Health Hazards

In the limited study conducted over the past year we sought to determine whether any wood based flooring could pose a formaldehyde hazard and if so how much of a hazard.

Vinyl flooring health hazards.

Many consumers are opting for vinyl or linoleum flooring because they are durable versatile and economical options. Formaldehyde is more common in laminate flooring where it s found in the adhesive and resin. Phthalates are used to soften plastic and vinyl and make them more flexible. As well as potentially containing harmful contaminants recycled vinyl flooring breaks down sooner than 100 virgin vinyl and therefore needs replacing sooner.

But they re believed to be toxic and have been linked to a laundry list of ailments. This is true whether a large scale fire breaks out or just a small portion of the floor is burnt by accidentally dropping something. The flooring giant lumber liquidators was accused of selling illegally sourced laminate wood with high levels of formaldehyde a known carcinogen. Most vinyl tile flooring samples tested contained one or more hazardous chemicals.

California is taking a. Because of their durability vinyl flooring can last 2 3 times as long as similar resilient flooring products. Moreover almost all 89 percent of vinyl flooring samples tested contained organic tin based stabilizers. Most vinyl flooring contains chemicals called phthalates many of which have been banned from children s products over concerns of negative health effects.

Vinyl and linoleum flooring. However the act of recycling vinyl to be re used in flooring uses a lot of energy and also means you are running the risks of introducing contaminants into your flooring. If a fire breaks out and the vinyl in your floor catches flame it will begin to emit noxious fumes which will fill the air with harmful toxins including dioxins. Researchers say vinyl flooring and sofas with flame retardants can present a health risk to children.

This means less flooring in landfills and ultimately lower impact on health and environmental concerns. Fifty eight percent of vinyl flooring tiles tested contain phthalate plasticizers which are hazardous and are subject to a pending ban in the european union. Share on pinterest experts say linoleum is a safer alternative than vinyl flooring. Flooring this organization checks the health environmental and social impacts of all of the products used for all of these flooring types including materials sealants glue etc.