Laying Down the Evidence: Toxic Flame Retardants in Mattress Pads
Flame retardant chemicals are a $4 billion a year industry, and the companies that produce these often harmful compounds want to keep it that way, regardless of the health and environmental consequences of their products. This makes it even more important to review Elizabeth Grossman’s roundup of evidence showing that flame retardants can accumulate in people and cause health problems like hormonal changes, reproductive harm, impacts on the thyroid and metabolic function, and hindering neurological development in infants and children.
What can you do about unnecessary uses of these toxic chemicals? Cynthia Gaw is a University of California student working on a senior thesis project about flame retardants in foam, and she needs your help to collect samples of foam for analysis. She is especially interested in samples from mattress pads, couches, or other foam products from nursery schools, hospitals, and offices.
Please email foamstudy@gmail.com for instructions on how to submit a very small sample of foam from mattress pads, couches or other foam products from your home, school, office or hospital.
Although there is also no flammability standard requiring flame retardants in mattress pads, Cynthia has already found that about half of the mattress pads she has tested contained potentially harmful flame retardants. Sadly, these chemicals can migrate out of these products and expose children and families to harmful substances that do not appear to provide a fire safety benefit.
Please contact foamstudy@gmail.com if you might like to contribute samples.