Do you use a cancer carpet?

The carpet in your home is deadly if it's synthetic. Such carpets cause global warming, as they are not environment-friendly, and can lead to cancer and bronchitis when they're burnt for disposal.

The carpet in your home is deadly if it's synthetic. Such carpets cause global warming, as they are not environment-friendly, and can lead to cancer and bronchitis when they're burnt for disposal.

Since burning and burying are the only ways synthetic carpets can be destroyed, it's inevitable that synthetic carpets will harm the environment.

Indian shops have been flooded with synthetic carpets made with cheap petroleum byproducts like acrylic and nylon, etc from Gulf countries.
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Tread Carefully: Synthetic use-and-throw carpets are burnt or buried releasing carcinogenic fumes

Studies conducted by the Northern India Textile Research Association 2008 reveal that fibres used in synthetic carpets emit combustible gases when they are burnt.

Since burning and burying are the only ways such carpets can be disposed of, it's inevitable that synthetic carpets will harm the environment. Inhaling fumes when the carpet is burnt can cause cancer and bronchitis.
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Manufacturers and distributors also agree that such carpets should either be banned or a proper disposal system should be incorporated in the country.
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Manish Malani, president and CEO Birla Transasia Carpets, said that after knowing the harmful effects of synthetic carpets on the environment and to health, his company stopped manufacturing them and are now focussing on capets made of natural fibres like wool.
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Ramesh Daswani of Colaba Carpets said, "Carpets with natural fibres should be encouraged, as they can be recycled."

Professor S Mukherjee of Environmental Sciences at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, talks about the ill effects of synthetic carpets.

"When such carpets are buried, the soil's fertility is reduced with it's coupled with rain water."

According to the 2008 report of Northern India Textile Research Association, Ghaziabad, the four type of synthetic carpets available in India emit toxic gases like carbon-di-oxide and carbon monoxide, which not only add to the global warming but also give rise to dangerous diseases like cancer and bronchitis.

Carpet Tile, Backing- PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride), Pile- Nylon: Minimizes contact because may cause danger to health.

The Quality of the material tends to degrade with each recycle. Furthermore separation of different addictives from PVC makes recycle a difficult and costly option.

On incineration, it releases dioxins and other toxic chemicals, which can cause illness like cancer, neurological damage, and reproductive and birth effects. PVC is non-biodegradable.

Tufted & Woven, Backing- Polypropylene, Pile- Polypropylene: The manufacture of polypropylene at high temperature can releases vapours irritant to respiratory system and eyes. It cannot be recycled into carpets at all.

Incineration of this causes release of CO, CO2 and other combustible gases. It is non-Biodegradable.

When inhaled CO affects the central nervous and the cardiovascular systems and is even responsible for heart attacks and high mortality rates.

The report also reveals that the other type of synthetic carpet, Tufted &Woven backing Polypropylene and Polyester and Tufted and Woven backing polypropylene and acrylic, are as dangerous to health and environment like the others.