Impact of Carpets on Indoor Air Quality

• Published in: Applied sciences 2022-12, Vol.12 (24), p.12989
• Main Authors: Noorian Najafabadi, Seyyed Abbas, Sugano, Soma, Bluyssen, Philomena M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air pollution; Air quality; Air temperature; Airborne particulates; Building materials; Carpets; Composite materials; Construction materials; emission; Floor coverings; Flooring; Heating; Human influences; Humidity; Indoor air pollution; Indoor air quality; Indoor environments; Measurement techniques; Multilayers; Organic compounds; Outdoor air quality; Particulate emissions; Particulate matter; Perfluoroalkyl & polyfluoroalkyl substances; Pollutants; Secondary emission; sorption; Textiles; VOCs; Volatile organic compounds
• ISSN: 2076-3417; 2076-3417
• DOI: 10.3390/app122412989

Interest in having a healthy and well-being environment has increased the awareness to improve indoor air quality (IAQ). Building materials influence the contribution of indoor air pollution, so understanding their behaviour on IAQ is essential. Among building materials, carpets cover surfaces of indoor environments and significantly impact IAQ due to their large surface area and multi-layers of materials components. This review aimed to consolidate what is known about how carpet impacts indoor volatile organic compounds (VOCs) concentrations and particulate matter (PM) distributions. The results showed that carpets are not only a source of primary emission but also can ad/absorb VOCs and emit VOCs through secondary emission, sink effects, and transformation reactions. The material composition of each carpet layer, environmental parameters (e.g., humidity, temperature, air velocity), and chamber size influence a carpets’ behaviour. Previous studies on the resuspension of PM from carpets mainly focused on the effects of human activities and humidity. Further studies are needed to enhance knowledge related to carpet behaviours in the indoor environment and on how the common materials of carpets should be designed and sustained to reduce exposure to harmful pollutants indoors while maintaining its benefits.