House Dust Is Poison

The flame retardants added to furniture are a health danger. They increase the risk of cancer and disrupt the body’s hormones. Unfortunately- these chemicals lurk in house dust at alarmingly harmful levels.

A study led by scientists at Silent Spring Institute in Newton, Mass.,  tested for 49 flame-retardant chemicals in household dust, the main route of exposure for people and especially for children. Forty-four flame retardant chemicals were detected and 36 were found in at least 50 percent of the samples, sometimes at levels of serious concern. The flame retardants found in house dust are from furniture, textiles, electronics and other products. They include hormone disruptors, carcinogens and chemicals with unknown safety profiles.

The highest concentrations were found for chlorinated organophosphate flame retardants. This chemical group includes TCEP and TDCIPP (or chlorinated “Tris”). These chemicals are listed as carcinogens under California’s Proposition 65.

TDBPP (or brominated “Tris”) was banned from children’s pajamas in 1977 due to health concerns but is still allowed in other products, and was present in 75 percent of homes tested in 2011.

There are no Federal rules requiring that flame retardants be safety tested. Among the limited number of flame retardants with Environmental Protection Agency health-risk guidelines, the study found five at levels higher than those guidelines: BDE 47, BDE 99, TCEP, TDCIPP and BB 153.

“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,” says Dr. Robin Dodson, a co-author of the study and a scientist with the Silent Spring Institute.