Question from Michael
Hi Debra,
Do you know anything about the insecticide they have to put in wool carpet in NZ? Is it toxic? Any health concerns? Here it is:
is potentially carcinogenic: Bifenthrin. Bifenthrin is a Pyrethroid compound.
Debra’s Answer
Hmmm. Some conflicting information on this.
First, here are a few links with health effects of this pesticide.
www.toxipedia.org/display/toxipedia/Bifenthrin
npic.orst.edu/factsheets/bifgen.html
pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/24d-captan/bifenthrin-ext.html
I found a comment on a post that said, “wool carpets are treated with a pesticide called bifenthrin which is added into the dye process.” If this is the case, then an undyed carpet would not have it. Also this source didn’t specify New Zealand.
But here is an industry document that describes the use of mothproofing, which says “it must be applied at dying, or later.”
Now Karastan says:
New Zealand wool is the purest, whitest wool in the world, offering excellent dyeing characteristics that create long-lasting colors.
New Zealand wool is raised with little impact on the natural landscape. It is a renewable and biodegradable fiber that is one of the world’s most environmentally friendly products.
New Zealand wool is produced on land mostly unsuitable for other agricultural purposes and does not compete with food production.
No internationally banned pesticides are used on New Zealand farms, making New Zealand’s sheep industry one of the world’s greenest animal production systems.
The Wools of New Zealand brand is your guarantee of the highest quality New Zealand wool. It is the indication that New Zealand wool is a superb natural product derived in an environmentally responsible way through sustainable land use.
I went to the Wools of New Zealand website and couldn’t find any statement about insecticides. So I can’t tell if New Zealand wool is mothproofed with a chemical pesticide or not.
Well, after all that, here is the document you want to read:
admin.woolsnz.com/uploadGallery/documents/insectresist%20.pdf
It’s the technical document for making Wools of New Zealand insect resistant. It does mention Bifenthrin and states it’s not approved for the USA.
Personally I wouldn’t get a carpet with this pesticide applied.
