Harmful flame retardants found in 84 percent of Calif. couches

Couches tested in random California households overwhelmingly contained hazardous flame retardant chemicals that have been known to harm hormone production and cause cancer, a new study says.

"Our study found that people are exposed to toxic flame retardants every day. These hazardous chemicals are in the air we breathe, the dust we touch and the couches we sit on. Many flame retardants raise health concerns, including cancer, hormone disruption, and harmful effects on brain development. It is troubling to see that a majority of homes have at least one flame retardant at levels beyond what the federal government says is safe. Infants and toddlers who spend much time on the floor are at higher risk for exposure," Dr. Robin Dodson, a co-author of the study and a scientist with the Silent Spring Institute, said in a press release.

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Couch chemicals cause of concern for some

The study was conducted by Silent Spring Institute scientists who looked at the levels of 49 different flame retardants ranging from hormone disruptors, carcinogens, and chemicals with unknown safety profiles in 16 California homes in 2006 and 2011. In particular, they looked at the foam inside 102 couches found in those houses. California has strict regulations about the flammability of items, including a standard known as TB 117 that says foam products must be able to withstand an open flame for 12 minutes, leading manufactures to add more flame retardants in their products.

The scientists detected 44 different types of dangerous chemicals in different samples. Thirty six of the chemicals were found in at least 50 percent of the samples, and some were even at levels that caused health concerns. Items that pass the TB 117 standard are supposed to have a label on them if they have flame retardants in them. However, 64 percent of the couches tested had no label -- and had detectable levels of flame retardants.

Chlorinated organophosphate flame retardants were found in the highest concentrations. The group includes carcinogens TCEP and TDCIPP (or chlorinated "Tris") -- the latter of which was banned from children's pajamas in 1977 but is still allowed in other products. Tris was found in 75 percent of homes.

In total, scientists found five flame retardants that were on average found at higher levels than EPA health risk guidelines: BDE 47, BDE 99, TCEP, TDCIPP and BB 153.

The tests also showed that 17 percent of the foam samples contained the flame retardant pentaBDE, which is banned in 172 countries and 12 U.S. states. Long-lasting pentaBDEs can move into the environment and collect in living organisms. Studies show they can disrupt endocrine activity and affect thyroid regulation and brain development and cause impaired motor and behavioral development in children. Fetuses exposed to the chemicals are known to have low birth weight and lower IQ.

PentaBDE and Tris were the only flame retardants found in couches bought before 2005, the year U.S. manufacturers phased out using the retardant. After that year, most of the couches contained Tris and two other chemical mixtures, one which has little information known about it.

"Overall, we detected flame-retardant chemicals in 85 percent of the couches we tested and in 94 percent of those purchased after 2005," Heather Stapleton, associate professor of environmental chemistry at Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment in Durham, N.C., said in a press release. "More than half of all samples, regardless of the age of the couch, contained flame retardants that are potentially toxic or have undergone little or no independent testing for human health risks."

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However, not everyone says the results are cause for alarm. The American Chemistry Council told CNN that this shows that companies are using flame retardants, a good way to prevent fires.

"This study confirms what we would expect to find: Furniture manufacturers use flame retardants to meet established fire safety standards, which help save lives," the American Chemistry Council said. "There is no data in this study that indicate that the levels of flame retardants found would cause any human health problems."

The study was published online in Environmental Science and Technology on Nov. 28, 2012.

[eroteme2]

I wish the Silent Spring scientists would remain silent. Now I have the great fear that hazardous chemicals are attacking me from all directions, even when I sit on my couch bothering nobody. I have so many things to worry about. Especially secondary smoke that has been attacking me for how long I do not know. I believe I am lucky to still be alive.

[sprayfoamdangers]

Great article and I agree furniture is a cause of flame retardants and other nasty chemicals in our homes, but what about spray foam insulation? Spray foam insulation has been sold to us as the greatest energy saving green product for our homes. But...homes are showing high, high, high levels of Tris (Flame Retardant also in couches) among other crazy high levels of chemicals.
More attention needs to be placed on the safety and long term effects of chronic exposure to a literal house FULL of this stuff.
for more info on spray foam dangers please see www.sprayfoamdangers.com or sign my petition at Change.Org asking the EPA to require full disclosure of chemicals in spray foam insulation at http://www.change.org/petitions/epa-require-full-disclosure-of-toxic-chemicals-used-in-spray-foam-insulation

[sryan5597]

Maybe this explains why Californians are what they are. Fuzzy-headed thinking produced the unhealthy conditions that exacerbate fuzzy-headed thinking. To put it another way: it could not happen to a better State.

[JustBluto]

Whoever came up with the CA law in the first place must have been a one dimensional thinker. Every once in a while a smoker drops a cig on his/her couch, so lets require couches to be fire resistive, with no consideration for the toxins to make the couch fire resistant. So CA saves a few lives at the cost of untold number of health issues. I have couches from 3 different manufactures at home, so based on the 84% probability for each, there is a 95% chance me and my family have been parking out butts on a harmful couch. Thanks CA lawmakers for looking out for us.

[Ridgenose]

Since the EPA has been so remiss in its cavalier attitude toward carcinogens in homes or food e.g. arsenic in rice, California needs to ban these carcinogens which are not poisoning us but the entire earth. Less toxic flame retardants need to be used or developed ASAP. As for arsenic in food, it is scandalous that it is allowed in small amounts to treat parasites in chickens.; Arsenic is a nasty carcinogen that must be banned from all foodstuffs and food production. It's use, if any, must be extremely limited e.g. certain medical applications when there is no alternative and it is a life and death issue.

[controlhead]

This is a "gee duh" in my book. What do they expect when you douse things in chemicals in the name of "whats best" for people. Maybe if people were more
responsible for their own actions ie; don't smoke, we would not need this type of poisoning.

[JohnKrats]

Right. Guess how flame retardants were introduced to furniture in the first place? Lawyers and government mandated them via edict.

[Gyre7]

Good article, and well-written. Thank you.

[Galoolie]

"in 16 California homes in 2006 and 2011." Maybe I'm reading this wrong. 102 couches tested? From a total of 32 homes tested?

[skeeteril]

However, not everyone says the results are cause for alarm. The American Chemistry Council told CNN that this shows that companies are using flame retardants, a good way to prevent fires.

"This study confirms what we would expect to find: Furniture manufacturers use flame retardants to meet established fire safety standards, which help save lives," the American Chemistry Council said.

And in other news, Radical Mastectomies have shown that it reduces breast cancer.

[48thstate]

Try reading the book Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History. It was just released this year and it tells the whole story of how so much flame retardant wound up in California's furniture and children's pajamas. It's deadly, it's carcinogenic and it's a deal with the devil - the boxite industry.
Change the laws in California in favor of human life.