PVC floors, practical and quick to lay, are not only bad for the environment and those who make them, but also for those who walk on them daily.
Making PVC is bad for the environment, that’s not a scoop. We also knew that, because of their composition, the employees of the factories working there were exposed to chemicals that are very dangerous to health. Especially since the place where they are mainly produced is China, where working conditions are poor in terms of health risks, among others. But according to a recent survey Fast Company mediabased on expert testimony and investigations published upstream, we also know that PVC floors are dangerous for the health of those who walk on them every day. Explanations.
First, to make PVC, you need mercury. And the latter is then released into nature, which it cheerfully pollutes. According to Jim Vallette, president of Material Research L3C, which studies PVC manufacturing methods, this mercury is absorbed by the atmosphere and redistributed by the rains, especially on a global scale.
Carcinogens, dust and bare feet
But in this PVC, installed on the floor of our apartments and houses (but also present in the windows, for example), are other chemicals, such as chlorine gas, known to be carcinogenic. Or phthalates, known to be harmful to the human reproductive system. But the list is longer than that. And if the most exposed people are those who manufacture this product, those who use it are not spared.
Particles of the chemicals used in its manufacture gradually evaporate over time. They penetrate the air, or even the dust, and could even pass through the skin, if you walk barefoot on the ground. Of course, the exposure doses are lower than for factory workers or populations living nearby, but this could be enough to have an impact on human health. Not to mention the chemical fumes that would be produced if these products burned in a fire. These fumes can cause respiratory diseases, recalls the survey.
For reasons mainly related to cost, these products continue to be adopted by a large number of people. But also by hospitals, schools,…
Source: The dirty truth about your fake wood floors, Fast Company, February 2023.