Britain's two most popular floor-coverings - carpets and vinyl (PVC) - are exposing us to hazardous chemicals, says a new report commissioned by the Healthy Flooring Network (HFN). WEN is a founder member of the HFN. Laboratory analysis of high street brands reveals they contain surprisingly high levels of chemicals that could escape into the indoor environment and which, says the report, are 'potentially hazardous to human health and the environment.'

'Poison Underfoot' reports on analysis carried out for HFN at Greenpeace's research laboratories at the University of Exeter. It exposes a range of chemicals added to floorings as stabilisers, softeners or 'bug killers' designed to keep carpets 'fresh' or kill dust mites, which are known to be toxic or disrupt hormones.

Helen Lynn, WEN's health co-ordinator and the spokeswoman for HFN said: "People are not aware of the chemical hazards in their floors. Wherever there is carpet or vinyl - in homes, offices, schools - people are unwittingly exposed to chemicals they would rather avoid."

She added: "It's staggering that governments have earmarked these chemicals for urgent action yet they are still being added to floors in homes, schools and the workplace and could be affecting our health."

Most surprising was that both carpets and vinyl were found to contain tributyl tin (TBT) which is both toxic to animals and is known to have caused sex changes in marine wildlife. Carpets treated with the anti dust mite treatment Ultrafresh and one sample also constructed from Permafresh fibre, contained particularly high levels of TBT. WEN raised concern about TBT when it was found in disposable nappies last year.

Brominated flame-retardents were found in three carpet samples. These chemicals are so toxic and long-lived that governments have agreed to phase them out.

Two phthalates, used as softeners in PVC and found in two vinyl samples have already been banned in the EU from use in chewy children's toys because of their potential health effects. Children are most vulnerable to phthalates in flooring as, relative to their size, they breath more air than adults and are often breathing close to the floor.
Michelle Allsopp, Greenpeace scientist and co-author of the report, said: "Given the hazardous nature of these compounds the levels we found are clearly of concern. All the chemicals we looked for are highly toxic yet they appeared in much higher levels than we would have expected."

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