Wood flooring is generally better than carpets for controlling dust. Carpets can trap allergens like dust mites and mold spores deep within their fibers, making them harder to clean and potentially worsening indoor air quality over time.
Intuitively it seems as though dust trapped deep within carpet fibers would be unlikely to become resuspended and inhaled, and so carpet wouldn’t necessarily be worse. Is there reason to believe otherwise?
A very brief lit search suggests yes. Per this 2018 review, ‘data support that carpets may act as a repository for pollutants which may become resuspended upon activity in the carpeted area. Also, the use of carpets is still linked to...adverse health effects as previously reported.’
Your microplastics citation to The Conversation claims that carpet produces more microplastics than hard flooring, but that seems like a separate issue.
Intuitively it seems as though dust trapped deep within carpet fibers would be unlikely to become resuspended and inhaled, and so carpet wouldn’t necessarily be worse. Is there reason to believe otherwise?
A very brief lit search suggests yes. Per this 2018 review, ‘data support that carpets may act as a repository for pollutants which may become resuspended upon activity in the carpeted area. Also, the use of carpets is still linked to...adverse health effects as previously reported.’
Your microplastics citation to The Conversation claims that carpet produces more microplastics than hard flooring, but that seems like a separate issue.