Flame retardants under scrutiny

EPA yields to public outcry over research identifying health concerns over the toxic chemicals

Children are especially at risk from exposure to
flame retardants in furniture and other products.

When major news outlets like the Chicago Tribune published in-depth reports about the questionable record of flame retardants, it spawned a huge reaction from the public and lawmakers demanding more information and possibly action.

Now the United States Environmental Protection Agency has announced that it will conduct a broad investigation of the chemicals that are used in a wide range of household products, including upholstered furniture (one sofa can contain up to 2 pounds of flame retardants in the foam cushions) and baby products such as mattresses and pajamas.

The paper’s article series outlined a campaign by tobacco and chemical industries to promote flame retardants by utilizing the public’s fear of fires, distorted science and phony associations.

The problems with flame retardants

However, recent research has shown that flame retardants don’t really protect from fires and that exposure to the chemicals can lead to cancer, neurological deficits, developmental problems and fertility problems.

Experts partly blame the outdated Toxic Substances Control Act from 1976, which allows companies to introduce new products without having to prove that they are safe and which makes it difficult to ban certain substances after they have been shown to affect people’s health.

The EPA’s investigation will target a larger group of flame retardants that has been linked to the most health problems.

Instead of putting flame retardants in the furniture itself, new industry standards may involve the upholstery itself to resist smoldering cigarettes, one of the most common causes of fires in homes.

Exposure to flame retardants

Studies show that flame retardant chemicals have become widespread and can often be detected in common household dust, which is inhaled, ingested and touched by all household members, especially children.

Even small doses may trigger obesity, anxiety and developmental problems, studies have found.

Source: Chicago Tribune

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Some toddlers more exposed than others to flame retardants

Furniture is a common source of exposure
to flame retardants, researchers say.

Does race and socioeconomic status play a role in a child’s exposure to chemicals?

A study of North Caroline toddlers shows that non-white toddlers are more exposed to flame-retardant chemicals than white toddlers.

Exposure may be higher in toddlers whose fathers do not have a college degree, which serves as a proxy measure of lower socioeconomic background.

The toddlers are usually exposed through hand-to-mouth activity or factors related to age and duration of breastfeeding, the researchers say.

The study examined the levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in 83 toddlers between 12 and 36 months of age.

Sources of chemical exposure

PBDEs are a class of long-lasting chemicals, which were widely used as flame retardant additives in consumer products such as polyurethane foam padding, electronics, mattresses and furniture.

Toddlers (and adults) can inhale or ingest these chemicals, which can accumulate in the body and may be linked to disrupted endocrine activity and thyroid regulation, low birth weight and developmental problems.

House dust is a big source of exposure for toddlers, the study shows.

But dust can’t be the reason why there was such a big difference in exposure between nonwhite and white toddlers: white toddlers averaged 32 parts per billion of PBDE chemicals in their blood, while nonwhite toddlers averaged 60 parts per billion.

According to the researchers, the best ways to reduce exposure include:

• Frequent hand-washing
• Researching household products to find out which, if any, flame retardants are being used

 The study appeared in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Source: Duke University

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VIDEO: Limitations make it difficult for EPA to move on flame retardants

Michael Hawthorne, the author of some in-depth articles about toxic chemicals in our environment that were recently published in the Chicago Tribune, explains in this video why there is so little progress in terms of regulation.

Chemicals and flame retardants can come from many
sources in the home, furniture and household products.

The EPA has limited powers to regulate chemicals in the first place and the agency has to prove a chemical is unsafe (rather than the manufacturer having to prove it is safe), which is why a lot of chemicals enter the market without being adequately tested.

This is concerning because scientists keep finding "mystery" chemicals in the environment and in people's blood or bodies and it is sometimes only by luck that they find out where they come from.

A lot of flame retardant chemicals are allowed to enter the market without a thorough study of health risks, he says and the government seems to be divided when it comes to these issues.

Source: Chicago Tribune

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Flame retardants cause toxic fumes in house fires

Toxic fumes in fires are deadlier
than burns, experts say.

Now here is a rather ironic twist to a chemical that was supposed to make materials safer in case of fire: Some of the flame retardants added to common household products increase the danger of toxic gases that are main cause of death in fires.

The flame retardants that contain the chemical element bromine  were added to household products such as carpets, furniture upholstery, plastics, crib mattresses, car and airline seats and more to suppress the visible flames in fires.

Some scientists call these flame retardants “halogen-based” flame retardants because bromine is in a group of elements called halogens.

The dangers of flame retardants

But a new study highlights the dangers this group of flame retardants may actually bring to a fire.

While halogen-based flame retardants are effective in reducing the ignitability of materials, they also increase the amounts of carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide that are released during combustion.

Contrary to popular belief, it’s the inhalation of toxic gases and not burns that causes the most deaths and most of the serious injuries sustained in fires.

Almost 10,000 deaths from fires occur in industrialized countries around the world each year, and about 3,500 in the United States.

How do flame retardants work?

The main categories of flame retardants are brominated flame retardants, mineral-based flame retardants and intumescent agents (that swell when heated so that flames cannot penetrate the barrier).

They suppress visible flames or slow down the combustion process or form a barrier between materials.

Many common household products and children's
products contain flame retardants.

The researchers found that mineral-based flame retardants had little effect on fire toxicity, while most intumescent fire retardants actually reduced the amount of toxic gases released in a fire.

Source: American Chemical Society

Reduce your exposure to fire retardants and other toxins

Many studies have linked flame retardants with negative health effects.

In order to reduce exposure, the Department of Health in Washington state suggests cleaning and dusting the home regularly since dust is a main source of exposure, replacing old foam products (from before 2005), buying electronics without Deca-BDEs in them and disposing of old household items properly.

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Chemicals that make us fat

Even a healthy lifestyle may not be enough
keep the waistline from expanding.

It started as a question by health professionals, researchers and those in the know – are chemicals making us fat?

Is our daily exposure to chemicals playing a role in the obesity epidemic that is rolling over North America?

Now the question has changed from “Are chemicals making us fat?” to “Which chemicals are making us fat?”

In a recent article in the Ecologist, former Ecologist editor Pat Thomas listed a full range of industrial and everyday chemicals that contribute to our midrange expansion. Thomas talks about them in more detail in her book “The 21st Century is Making You Fat”.

Here is a selection of chemicals you need to watch out for:

Bisphenol-A (BPA):  This hormone-mimicking chemicals is found in clear, hard and reusable plastic products and it is also used in dyes, polyester resins, flame retardants and rubber chemicals, among others.

Phthalates: These hormone-disrupting chemicals can be found anywhere in our environment – they are hiding in plastic and consumer products such as hair spray, water bottles and T-Shirts.

Solvents: People can get exposed to solvents  in adhesives, glues, cleaning fluids, felt-tip pens, perfumes, paints, varnishes, pesticides, petrol, household cleaners and waxes. The neurotoxic chemicals in solvents include xylene, dichlorobenzene, ethylphenol, styrene, toluene, acetone and trichloroethane.

Polybrominated flame retardants: It sounded like a good idea to reduce fire risk and add these chemicals to a wide range of household products (think mattresses, computers, TVs, textiles, car seats and more), but they are oestrogen mimics  and can affect the thyroid as well.

Organochlorines: This group contains pesticides (DDT, chlordane, dieldrin and more), industrial lubricants (PCBs) as well as dioxins and chlorophenols. High level exposures can alter a person’s metabolism and stop the fat-losing process.

Other chemicals that can help make us fat include

• Organophosphates
• Carbamates
• Organotins
• Benzo[a]pyrene
• Cadmium
• Lead

Source: The Ecologist

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New flame retardants, new concerns

Researchers found that flame retardant levels are rising.

They replace one type of chemical with another, but the health effects of new flame retardants have become a new topic of concern.

Originally created to replace older chemicals that were believed to be a threat to the environment, the new flame retardants are now widespread in the air near the Great Lakes, a new report shows.

Back in the 1970s, manufacturers started using old flame retardant chemicals in their products (including upholstered furniture, electronics, clothing, mattresses).

The problem with those flame retardants was their volatility. The polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs) easily off-gas into the ambient air where they can become an environmental threat.

In order to replace PBDEs, the industry introduced new formulations  that contain 2-ethylhexyl-2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoate (TBB) and bis(2-ethylhexyl)-tetrabromophthalate (TBPH). But these chemicals could also have environmental risks: Research has suggested that the compounds can build up in fish and damage their DNA.

As it turns out, these new flame retardants can be found in the air in the Great Lakes region. Researchers monitored the air for levels of TBB and TBPH and collected samples between 2008 and 2010.

They detected TBB and TBPH in the vast majority of samples from Chicago and Cleveland, where levels of the compounds doubled approximately every 13 months.

It wasn’t only an urban phenomenon, as they also found the compounds in air samples from rural sites (those levels doubled every 19 months).

More research is needed into the effects of these new flame retardants on the environment.

Source: Chemical & Engineering News 

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Levels of new flame retardants on the rise

Researchers found that new flame retardant levels are rising.

They replace one type of chemical with another, but the health effects of new flame retardants have become a new topic of concern.

Originally created to replace older chemicals that were believed to be a threat to the environment, the new flame retardants are now widespread in the air near the Great Lakes, a new report shows.

Back in the 1970s, manufacturers started using old flame retardant chemicals in their products (including upholstered furniture, electronics, clothing, mattresses).

The problem with those flame retardants was their volatility. The polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs) easily off-gas into the ambient air where they can become an environmental threat.

In order to replace PBDEs, the industry introduced new formulations  that contain 2-ethylhexyl-2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoate (TBB) and bis(2-ethylhexyl)-tetrabromophthalate (TBPH). But these chemicals could also have environmental risks: Research has suggested that the compounds can build up in fish and damage their DNA.

As it turns out, these new flame retardants can be found in the air in the Great Lakes region. Researchers monitored the air for levels of TBB and TBPH and collected samples between 2008 and 2010.

They detected TBB and TBPH in the vast majority of samples from Chicago and Cleveland, where levels of the compounds doubled approximately every 13 months.

It wasn’t only an urban phenomenon, as they also found the compounds in air samples from rural sites (those levels doubled every 19 months).

More research is needed into the effects of these new flame retardants on the environment.

Source: Chemical & Engineering News 

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Study eases concerns about flame retardants and health effects on newborns

Study examined the effects of fire
retardants on newborns' thyroids.

Study after study seems to find links between chemicals and potentially major health effects, but now there is some good news: A new study found no link between thyroid hormone levels and flame retardants in the blood of newborn babies, according to a Reuters report.

The study focused on PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) that are used in common household items such as carpets and furniture and easily off-gas into the rooms.

Flame retardants can be detected in the blood of 97 percent of Americans, and previous studies have linked them with a wide range of complications, including disrupted thyroid function in pregnant women.

In this new study by California researchers, nearly 300 pregnant women were examined as well as their babies after birth.

The researchers found no link between the mothers’ chemical exposure and the newborns’ thyroid hormone levels.

Still, the experts warn that pregnant women in other parts of the country may be exposed to higher levels of flame retardants, and that these may affect their newborns.

Animal studies have suggested as much, and the researchers have warned that timing may alter the results. They examined the newborns’ blood one day after birth, but results may be different in older children, they say.

Health effects of flame retardants

Older children may be affected more,
study authors say.

Even though many flame retardants are being phased out, experts still worry about high levels of exposure, since many common household products are currently impregnated with the chemicals.

While most people today absorb the chemicals by ingesting household dust, once these products land in a landfill and start breaking down they can enter the environment and become part of the food chain.

See also our previous post, Growing Concerns Over Flame Retardants.

Exposure to environmental pollutants

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Consumer concerns prompt states to ban chemicals

Families need to protect themselves
from chemical exposure.

It’s a long-winded path to better chemical protection, but pressure from consumers and public awareness about the dangers of toxic chemicals has caused more U.S. states to ban the use of specific chemical compounds.

This year alone, six states have adopted laws to restrict bisphenol A or phosphate-based flame retardants, watchdogs say.

New York prohibited the use of tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate in children’s goods, a plasticizer and flame retardant in polyurethane foams and other polymers, which has been linked to reproductive toxicity concerns.

The chemical off-gasses from plastics because it does not chemically bind to polymers, experts say. The ban will come into effect Dec. 1, 2013 and may inspire other states to follow lead.

Connecticut became the nation’s first state to ban bisphenol A (BPA) not only from baby and children’s products (such as bottles and cups) but also from receipt paper used at cash registers.

Maine, Delaware, California and Maine join eight other states that have banned BPA in baby bottles and cups for young children.

It seems like public pressure is working, and more states may adopt chemical regulations in the near future or copy other states' laws, experts say.

Source: American Chemical Society

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Ominous World Record: Pregnant Californians have the highest levels ever recorded of banned chemical

Despite being outlawed in 2004, scientists have found that polybrominated diphenyl ethers, also known as PBDEs, are showing up at unprecedented levels in pregnant woman in California.

They believe the results may stem from the state's strict flammability regulations.

Before the ban the chemicals were commonly used to treat polyurethane foam to slow the rate the material would burn if it caught fire.

The foam was widely used in couches, chairs, mattresses, baby products and other household items.

It was later discovered that the PBDEs were not bound to the foam and instead scattered easily in the air and could be inhaled through dust. Much of the furniture is still being used today in homes, restaurants and offices making PBDEs present throughout the state.

The UCSF-led research team found high levels of PBDEs, as well as the by-products that result when the flame retardants break down in the body, in 25 second-trimester pregnant women from Northern and Central California seeking care in San Francisco.

“While our study group was small, the higher chemical exposure in pregnant women is particularly concerning and warrants further research. PBDEs can disrupt the thyroid system and have been linked to neurodevelopmental problems in children following prenatal exposure,” said Ami R. Zota, ScD, MS, lead author.

Another UCSF study recently found that the bodies of virtually all U.S. pregnant women carry multiple chemicals, including PBDEs and others banned since the 1970s. 

That research was the first time that the number of chemicals to which pregnant women are exposed has been counted.

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Growing concerns over flame retardants

Upholstered furniture often contains
potentially harmful flame retardants.

Flame retardants are chemicals that can be found in a wide variety of consumer products, supposedly as a protective feature to make them less likely to catch fire.

However, growing levels in the environment and in humans, especially in North America, have led to a number of studies and warnings about the use of these chemicals, since some experts say they may hinder a child's growth and permanently damage their endocrine system.

It's not easy to avoid exposure in our everyday lives. Flame retardants such as polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDEs) or brominated flame retardants have been found in child car seats, in household plastics, electrical and electronic equipment, upholstered furniture, non-clothing textiles and foam products.

Chemicals released slowly over a long time

In most cases, these flame retardants are added to the products rather than chemically bound to them, and they can be slowly and continuously released while they are manufactured, when they are used, or after they have been thrown away (Health Canada).

Many countries – notably in Europe - have moved towards banning flame retardants, but the levels remain relatively high in North America.

In one study involving children from California, the PBDE levels in 2- to 5-year-old California children was 10 to 1,000 fold higher than European children, 5 times higher than other U.S. children and 2 to 10 times higher than U.S. adults.

Organizations aim to raise awareness about toxic chemicals

In a bid to raise public awareness of harmful chemicals, several Los Angeles-area nonprofits organized the Toxies Awards event, where certain chemicals are named as standouts in the bad-for-you chemical category.

Incidentally, a flame retardant known as Halogenated Flame Retardant (HFR) won the People's Choice Award as Worst Chemical of the Year and also beat out other contenders in the Super Hot Mess category.

Used in furniture, electronics and building insulation, HFR can be found in nearly the entire U.S. population and is linked to a lower IQ, cancer and infertility.

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Update: An Aug. 10 public release says a University of California - San Francisco (UCSF)-led pilot study has found the highest levels ever reported among pregnant women worldwide of banned chemicals used in flame retardants, a likely result, they believe, of California's strict flammability regulations.

Tests indicate that these chemicals may cause liver, thyroid, and neurodevelopmental toxicity, according to the EPA.

Read the full release here.

Indoor Air Quality News: Study finds flame retardants at high levels in pet dogs

It seems even the family dog may benefit from cleaner indoor air.

A new study by Indiana University scientists have found chemical flame retardants in the blood of pet dogs at concentrations five to 10 times higher than in humans.

"Even though they've been around for quite awhile, we don't know too much about these compounds' toxicological effects on humans or animals," says study author Marta Venier.

"The bottom line is that we still need to keep measuring them, particularly in homes."


The study focuses on the presence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the blood of dogs and in commercial dog food.

PBDEs have been widely used as flame retardants in household furniture and electronics equipment. The compounds can migrate out of the products and enter the environment.
 
Even though some of these chemicals have been phased out, they're still found in homes and in household dust.

Pets spend the majority of their day indoors breathing in these pollutants. Using an air cleaner with a good HEPA and carbon filter can provide cleaner, healthier indoor air for pets as well as the people who love them.