carpets

I have recently taken over an allotment on which a lot of carpets have been used both to keep down weeds and over two large compost heaps. I was delighted at first to aquire all this land and also the large mounds of compost but now I am concerned that toxins may have leeched from the carpets into the soil. I have already planted potatoes and lots of vergetable seeds in the soil but now I am wondering just how safe it is. I have been looking for information on the internet but so far no luck. can anyone give me any advice on this topic? thanks..

 

I have an allotment and like yours I too have old carpets as paths and covering compost heaps

only new carpets would have any amounts of chemical in to leach out...the fact that they have been in someones house maybe for years and then on an allotment through rain/sun etc maybe also for years...shouldn't give any concern for chemicals leaching into the soil

 

I'd be more concerned that the carpet was preventing nutrients reaching the soil.

From your post it seems that the carpets had been down for some time before you took over the allotment. I would therefore expect that any damage they could have done from the point of view of chemicals leaking would have been done by now, so if the place still looks good I would not worry too much.