Study: More than half of sofas contain toxic flame retardants

Study: More than half of sofas contain toxic flame retardants (Alberta Times) According to a research report published by Duke University on the 28th, more than half of American sofas contain toxic flame retardants...

(Alberta Times)

According to a research report published by Duke University on the 28th, more than half of American sofas contain toxic flame retardants. When these chemicals are released from sponges and mixed into indoor dust, they pose a threat to public health. This study tested a total of 102 sofas, 41% of which contained sponges containing chlorinated Tris, and 17% contained pentabromodiphenyl ether (pentaBDE). 85% of these chemicals are used in untested or potentially toxic flame retardants. “A pound of toxic chemicals in a sofa is too much,” said report co-author Erin Brahm, a chemist at the University of California, Berkeley, and founder of the Green Technology Policy Institute. She said that 94 percent of sofas from about five years ago contained flame retardants, which accounted for 11 percent of the sponge by weight. Many manufacturers add flame retardants to polyurethane sponges to comply with California standards, which require furniture sold in the state to withstand burning for 12 seconds without catching fire. Because of the size of the California market, this standard has effectively become a national standard. Flame retardants have been linked to endocrine disruption, cancer and neurological disease in numerous animal studies and several human studies, the report states. Another research report "Environmental and Health Perspectives" published earlier this month found that if a woman's blood contains pentaBDE during pregnancy, it will affect the baby's weight, IQ, attention, and motor coordination. "There is no data in this study that flame retardants cause health problems at their current levels," the American Chemistry Council said in a statement. Brahm recommends buying sofas filled with polyester, wool or cotton, which are unlikely to contain flame retardants. Otherwise, prevent inhalation of indoor dust. She recommends washing your hands frequently and using a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter or a water spray.