Britons could be healthier if they'd give up fitted carpets, says a
leading allergy specialist, after release today (Tuesday 11th July) of a report on the
links between carpets and asthma and allergies. The new report, Allergic Diseases
and the Indoor Environment, by Dr. Jill Warner, Senior Lecturer in Allergy and
Immunology at the University of Southampton, for the first time highlights fitted carpets
as playing a major role in the alarming rise of asthma and allergies.
Today - at the launch of the Healthy Flooring Network (HFN), a new
alliance of organisations and individuals concerned about asthma and allergy which
commissioned the report - Dr. Warner called for a rethink on the British love of fitted
carpets. The presence of carpets in the home can dramatically increase the levels of
mite allergen. It's time for families to change the habits of a lifetime and consider
alternative forms of flooring, says Dr. Warner.
This is the first time carpets have been named a prime culprit in
allergic diseases. The report reveals that Britain, with the highest number of carpets in
our homes (98% of households compared with 16% in France and 2% in Italy), is also the
worst in the world for its record of asthma and allergies.
One in five children now suffer asthma in the UK. Says Dr. Warner,
Infants are the most vulnerable. Early exposure to allergens from pets and dust
mites can sensitise them, making them more susceptible to asthma and allergies in later
life. If we are to reduce the extremely high prevalence of allergic disease, and improve
the quality of life of sufferers, we must reduce allergens in the home.
It's a position backed by The Women's Environmental Network, Action
Against Allergy, and the National Eczema Society, first to join the Healthy Flooring
Network. HFN will work to raise awareness of the hidden health risks in carpets and vinyl
floors. Today the network released a statement of concern and called on other
organisations to join them.* There is more childhood asthma in Britain than anywhere
else in the world; there are also more fitted carpets, said Helen Lynn, Health
Co-ordinator of The Women's Environmental Network. This report shows that getting
rid of carpets could radically reduce the amount of allergens in our homes. Where small
children are concerned this simple act could save them from a lifetime's suffering with
allergies and breathlessness.
Long overlooked in the battle against allergy, carpets, says the
report, are actually the biggest reservoir for allergy-causing dust mite and pet allergens
in the home. Previously bedding has been the focus of action to contain dust mite
allergens but Dr. Warner shows that, by total amount, carpets contain much larger
quantities of living mites and their allergens. Dust mites and their droppings have not
only been linked to asthma but to other allergies including atopic dermatitis, seasonal
conjunctivitis, and perennial rhinitis.
Up to 100,000 mites can live in one square metre of carpet, and
their droppings build up steadily as the carpet gets older. Meanwhile pet allergens - the
second most important cause of domestic allergy - stick to carpets and other soft
furnishings, even when there is no animal in the house. They are easily spread from house
to house on the clothes of visiting cat and dog owners.
Yet no amount of cleaning can completely rid the carpet of these
dangerous allergens. The report reviewed comprehensive testing on a range of cleaning
methods including steam, vacuuming, and the use of chemicals and detergents. Vacuuming
successfully reduced levels of pet allergens in the carpets but mite allergens were more
difficult to budge. None of the cleaning methods could reduce allergen levels in carpets
to a point which might alleviate asthmatic symptoms. Overall, these studies of mite
allergen reduction in carpets are very disappointing, says the report. The
best results were obtained in the laboratory with little translation into effectiveness in
the domestic environment.
Only the removal of carpets was able to cut allergen loads to 10%, a
level which could reduce asthma symptoms as well as cutting the risk of developing
sensitivity. One report showed that removing fitted carpets reduced the risk of asthma and
allergies by up to 14 times.
Already up to a third of the UK population suffers some form of
allergy including asthma, eczema and hay fever and it continues to rise. Reducing
the allergen load in indoor environments has become imperative. Says the
report Exposure to domestic allergens is strongly associated with increased risk of
allergic disease. Epidemiological studies suggest that a 2-fold reduction of allergen
exposure at a community level would significantly reduce rates of sensitisation in early
childhood, halve the risk of asthma development in sensitised children, and similarly
reduce asthma severity.
Today, the Healthy Flooring
Network recommended avoiding fitted carpets and switching instead to healthier
alternatives including wood, linoleum and laminate floors, many of which are currently
very fashionable. When cleaning these hard floors it would still be necessary to use a
high efficiency vacuum cleaner.
PVC, or vinyl flooring, however is not an option. During its
campaign HFN will also highlight concerns about vinyl floors, which are often used to
replace fitted carpets. Hundreds of cities and communities throughout Europe, the USA and
Japan are restricting the use of PVC in buildings because of environmental and health
concerns. One Nordic study linked exposure to the chemicals used to soften PVC to
inflammation of the airways and increased risk of asthma.
Says Pat Schooling of Action Against Allergy, Fitted carpets
dramatically increase mite allergens in the home, but there are plenty of alternatives
which will help make the home a healthier environment for those at risk of illness
triggered by inhaled allergens. Even this is not the complete answer, but it is a