this post was submitted on 07 Feb 2026
578 points (98.8% liked)
aww
27512 readers
473 users here now
A place with minimal rules for stuff that makes you go awww! Feel free to post pics, gifs, or videos of cats, dogs, babies, or anything cute and remember to be kind to others.
AI posts must be labeled [AI] in the title and are limited to one per week.
While posting and commenting in this community, you must abide by instance-wide rules: https://mastodon.world/about
- No racism or bigotry.
- Be civil: disagreements happen, but thatdoes not provide the right to personally insult others.
- No SPAM posting.
- No trolling of others.
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
I'll be honest I just asked the question to an LLM and just wanted to hint at what was potentially dangerous about new carpets.
So all I can offer is to share the conversation in question with the LLM and advise caution on the reliability of the informations.
I checked some of the references but not all of them so as any LLM response, you should probably verify it.
Deepseek's response :
https://chat.deepseek.com/share/k4o5j2jxvbwx9rt2n2
Excerpt :
The "new carpet smell" comes from a mix of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released from materials like synthetic fibers, latex backing, and adhesives. Key chemicals include:
· 4-Phenylcyclohexene (4-PC): The primary source of the "new carpet" odor, linked to eye and respiratory tract irritation.
· Styrene and Formaldehyde: Used in carpet backing and binders, known to be irritants and potential carcinogens.
· Benzene and Toluene: Often found in adhesives, these are among the most harmful VOCs.
· Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs): Flame retardants added to many household materials. Cats with hyperthyroidism have shown PBDE levels three times higher than healthy cats.
· Perfluorochemicals (PFCs): Used in stain-resistant treatments. A study found dogs and cats had significantly higher levels than humans.
Why?
What do you mean ?