Asthma: Carpets vs Timber Floors
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 06.11.05
Just as everyone is pulling up their carpets and sanding back the exposed floorboards out comes new research to say “Whoa”. According to Dr Heike Neumeister-Kemp, from the School of Biological Science at Murdoch University in Perth, Australia, all is not be as we first suspected. Her research has uncovered some myths about vacuuming and floor surfaces. Seems that “mould and bacteria spores, and fine particles, PM 10 and PM 2.5 - that's the little one that can go in your lungs” after falling on hard timber floor are being disturbed by air movement and sent back up into the air (and throats). Whereas vaccums with high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters lift and clean carpet fibres, so they can hold such particles out of harms way. Now a HEPA vacuum costs about $800 AUD but the good doctor says you only need it once a month, so share it around. That sure sounds like a Product Service System (PSS) to me. Via ::ABC News Online
So why not use a HEPA Vacuum cleaner to clean your wooden or tiled floor. Thats what we do. :)
Be very careful of extrapolating a global reality from one researcher's uncorroborated hypothesis. Homes with forced air heat in dry temperate zones get little air exchange with the outside and dust particles stay suspended due to the static charges (usually earth positive) induced by the furnace or AC fan moved air flow: i.e. dust is constantly being redistributed and dispersing past points of origin. Conversely, in homes with hydronic basedboard or other non-forced HCAV circulation systems, dust dispersion tends to be much less.
Finally, house dust originates from micro-organisms on our furniture and carpets, from insects and parasites like roaches and mites, from our skin and hair, from pets, from what we wear, from arcitectural surfaces, from decor and furniture fabrics, from pollens and other outdoor dusts coming in doors and windows, and from aerosols formed during cooking. THe more organic dusts aamong these contain the proteins most likely to sensitize human respiratory passages. Very old decrepet carpets and decor will over the years acculate these organic matrials. Wool has its own load plus what condenses from cooking etc. This is a VERY complex topic.
Thanks John. Useful extra information. I was more highlighting research that was contrary to popular opinion (ie carpets are bad for asthma suffers) rather than "extrapolating a global reality". No doubt Dr Heike's research adds to the body of knowledge in this complex area.
My wife is an asthmatic and we are ripping out our carpet in lieu of hardwood/laminate floors. Her doctor recommended that geeting rid of carpet is the best solution as it will trap the dust particles as well as dust mites.