Abstract
Carpets were submitted to our laboratory for testing by individuals who believed these carpets had caused adverse health effects. Additional carpets were purchased in local stores. Bioassays were used to evaluate the toxic potency of emissions of these carpets. ASTM E 981 is a bioassay which measures the irritant effects of air-borne chemicals on the trigeminal and vagus nerves. Subsequent observation of the animals undergoing a battery of neurological tests allowed scoring for neurotoxic effects. The bioassays showed the presence of measurable concentrations of sensory and pulmonary irritant chemicals in the off gassing from some of these carpets. Carpet emissions also resulted in severe neurological and/or neuromuscular toxicity; some of the animals died as a result of exposure to these emissions. These results document that certain carpets emit chemicals which can cause adverse health effects in mice. These results are consistent with reports that some humans have experienced adverse health effects from carpet emissions. These animal experiments provide a model for study of some aspects of environmental illness in laboratory animals.
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