Baby and phthalates

Vinyl Flooring Follow-Up Study

Published on June 27, 2019

In 2015, we tested 65 vinyl floor tiles and found that 58% contained phthalates, a hazardous class of plasticizers that can migrate out of flooring into the air and surfaces inside a home. In response to our study, the major flooring and home improvement retailers announced a phase-out of phthalates in all the flooring they sell. 

Recently, we followed up. We tested new floor tiles and this time detected no phthalates, suggesting the retailers made good on their commitments.

The product links below show X-ray fluorescence (XRF) measurement of elements as well as Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) identification of plasticizers. The tiles are vinyl (PVC), a chlorinated polymer, so the XRF data finds chlorine in all the tiles. 

Read our article about the successful campaign to get phthalates out of flooring here!

Download