Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32055099›Full record

ArticleBuilding and environment2019

Ten questions concerning the implications of carpet on indoor chemistry and microbiology.

Sarah R Haines, Rachel I Adams, Brandon E Boor, Thomas A Bruton, John Downey, Andrea R Ferro, Elliott Gall, Brett J Green, Bridget Hegarty, Elliott Horner and 23 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Building and environment, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
24citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

24 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. A transdisciplinary process-oriented approach to evaluate infant exposure to indoor dust.Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Efficacy of three chemical disinfectants and steam againstApplied and environmental microbiology · 2025
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Review
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Housing conditions and respiratory morbidity in Indigenous children in remote communities in Northwestern Ontario, Canada.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2022
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

33 authors.

Sarah R HainesDepartment of Civil, Environmental & Geodetic Engineering, College of Engineering, Environmental Health Sciences, College of Public Health, and Environmental Sciences Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
Rachel I AdamsPlant & Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
Brandon E BoorLyles School of Civil Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
Thomas A BrutonGreen Science Policy Institute, Berkeley, CA, 94709, USA.
John DowneyCleaning Industry Research Institute, Granville, OH, 43023, USA.
Andrea R FerroDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY, 13699, USA.
Elliott GallDepartment of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Portland State University, Portland, OR, 97201, USA.
Brett J GreenAllergy and Clinical Immunology Branch, Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morgantown, WV, 26505, USA.
Bridget HegartyCivil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
Elliott HornerUL Environment and Sustainability, Marietta, GA, 30067, USA.
David E JacobsNational Center for Healthy Housing, Columbia, MD, 21044, USA.
Paul LemieuxOffice of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27711, USA.
Pawel K MisztalDepartment of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
Glenn MorrisonDepartment of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
Matthew PerzanowskiDepartment of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
Tiina ReponenDivision of Environmental and Industrial Hygiene, Department of Environmental Health, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45220, USA.
Rachael E RushAllergy and Clinical Immunology Branch, Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morgantown, WV, 26505, USA.
Troy VirgoShaw Industries, Inc., Dalton, GA, 30722-2128, USA.
Celine AlkhayriDepartment of Civil, Environmental & Geodetic Engineering, College of Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
Ashleigh BopeDepartment of Civil, Environmental & Geodetic Engineering, College of Engineering, Environmental Health Sciences, College of Public Health, and Environmental Sciences Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
Samuel CochranDepartment of Civil, Environmental & Geodetic Engineering, College of Engineering, Environmental Health Sciences, College of Public Health, and Environmental Sciences Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
Jennie CoxDivision of Environmental and Industrial Hygiene, Department of Environmental Health, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45220, USA.
Allie DonohueDepartment of Civil, Environmental & Geodetic Engineering, College of Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
Andrew A MayDepartment of Civil, Environmental & Geodetic Engineering, College of Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
Nicholas NastasiDepartment of Civil, Environmental & Geodetic Engineering, College of Engineering, Environmental Health Sciences, College of Public Health, and Environmental Sciences Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
Marcia NishiokaDepartment of Civil, Environmental & Geodetic Engineering, College of Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
Nicole RenningerDepartment of Civil, Environmental & Geodetic Engineering, College of Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
Yilin TianDepartment of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
Christina Uebel-NiemeierDivision of Environmental and Industrial Hygiene, Department of Environmental Health, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45220, USA.
David WilkinsonTarkett, Dalton, GA, 30721, USA.
Tianren WuLyles School of Civil Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
Jordan ZambranaIndoor Environments Division, Office of Air and Radiation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, 20460, USA.
Karen C DannemillerDepartment of Civil, Environmental & Geodetic Engineering, College of Engineering, and Environmental Health Sciences, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.

Funding

UNC-CH CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH &SUSCEPTIBILITYP30ES010126 · NIEHS · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · PI Melissa A. Troester · 2001 to 2026
$36.3M
Intramural EPA EPA999999NIEHS NIH HHS P30 ES010126
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Carpet and rugs currently represent about half of the United States flooring market and offer many benefits as a flooring type. How carpets influence our exposure to both microorganisms and chemicals in indoor environments has important health implications but is not well understood. The goal of this manuscript is to consolidate what is known about how carpet impacts indoor chemistry and microbiology, as well as to identify the important research gaps that remain. After describing the current use of carpet indoors, questions focus on five specific areas: 1) indoor chemistry, 2) indoor microbiology, 3) resuspension and exposure, 4) current practices and future needs, and 5) sustainability. Overall, it is clear that carpet can influence our exposures to particles and volatile compounds in the indoor environment by acting as a direct source, as a reservoir of environmental contaminants, and as a surface supporting chemical and biological transformations. However, the health implications of these processes are not well known, nor how cleaning practices could be optimized to minimize potential negative impacts. Current standards and recommendations focus largely on carpets as a primary source of chemicals and on limiting moisture that would support microbial growth. Future research should consider enhancing knowledge related to the impact of carpet in the indoor environment and how we might improve the design and maintenance of this common material to reduce our exposure to harmful contaminants while retaining the benefits to consumers.

Indexed as

CarpetDustFlooringIndoor chemistryIndoor microbiologyResuspension

Identifiers

PMID32055099
PMCPMC7017391

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.