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By Veena Singla and Arlene Blum, Green Science Policy Institute
On May 6, 2012 the Chicago Tribune headline read:
“Playing with fire: A deceptive campaign by industry brought toxic flame retardants into our homes and into our bodies. And the chemicals don’t even work as promised.”
This investigation concluded that flame retardant chemicals in our furniture don’t help stop fires, but they do pose health risks. A typical home contains a pound of flame retardants associated with hormone disruption, lowered IQ, impaired fertility and/ or cancer. The good news is that this may change; in the meantime there are steps to protect your family.
Why are flame retardants in furniture and baby products?
Flame retardants are in the foam of furniture and baby products like strollers and nursing pillows to meet the 1976 California standard, Technical Bulletin 117 (TB117). Though TB117 is a California standard, we found that many US manufacturers follow it and add flame retardants to foam in our studies of baby products and couches.
What is the latest on furniture flame retardants and health?
A recent study found a correlation between a pregnant woman’s level of the flame retardant pentaBDE and negative outcomes in her child at age 7. The pregnant moms with higher pentaBDE were more likely to have children with decreased IQ, fine motor coordination, and ability to focus attention.
Our study investigating couches found that 41% contained chlorinated Tris (or TDCPP), the cancer-causing chemical removed from baby pajamas in the 1970s. Chlorinated Tris is a carcinogen on California’s Proposition 65 and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that people are exposed to unsafe amounts from furniture.
Flame retardants continuously migrate out of foam into house dust. Pets and people, especially small children who put their hands into their mouths more often, then ingest this contaminated dust.
What can I do about flame retardants?
At Home
Because flame retardants hide out in house dust, to reduce the amount of flame retardants entering our kid's bodies we can clean the dust in our homes and on our hands.
- Vacuum with a HEPA filter, wet mop, and dust with a damp cloth.
- Wash your hands and your children’s hands often, especially before eating.
- Download the How to Reduce Toxics in Your Home handout here.
Buying Products
- Avoid products with polyurethane foam. Cotton, wool, down, and polyester usually do not contain flame retardants. Manufacturers like BabyLuxe, BabyBjorn, OrbitBaby and Boppy advertise that they do not use flame retardants.
- Download the Safe Kids and the How to Buy Flame Retardant-Free Furniture handouts.
For future generations
- We can solve the problem of toxic flame retardants in furniture by changing the TB117 standard that leads to their use. In June, California Governor Jerry Brown took the lead in protecting our health by directing the state to revise TB117 for increased fire safety without toxic chemicals.
Visit The Green Science Policy Institute's Take Action page to learn how you can support toxic-free fire safety.
The fact that we are being exposed to harmful flame retardants from furniture is a symptom of a larger problem: most chemicals are not adequately regulated. At Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, you can support the Safe Chemicals Act, a bill for common sense limits on toxic chemicals.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/checblog/~3/N1ek3Dw87Nc/
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