Smog’s ozone spawns funky carpet smells

Chemicals in synthetic carpeting can react with a component of smog to generate unpleasant aromas. The resulting scents, which may persist for up to 3 years, are independent of the months-long release of chemicals that’s come to be known as new-carpet smell.

To investigate a potential contributor to sick-building syndrome, environmental engineers at the University of California, Berkeley exposed squares of nylon or olefin carpeting to airborne ozone at a concentration of 100 parts per billion (ppb).