flame retardants — between a fire and a hot place
Most people are unaware of the prevalence of chemical flame retardants all over their homes and workplaces. From mattresses to furniture to electronics, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs slow down the burning of flammable materials. But at what cost? PBDEs are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) — once they get into your body, they stay there for decades, getting more and more concentrated with your ongoing daily exposures. And it’s not just us — these flame retardants get into waterways, contaminating wildlife; because the Arctic is a “sink” for ocean pollution, PBDEs in polar bears, who are at the top of the northern food chain, have risen dramatically to dangerous levels.
Recent studies by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the Environmental Working Group (EWG), and others have examined the “body burden” of toxic chemicals in ordinary people. In these, PBDEs were found in 100% of study subjects, in the blood, fat, breast milk, and umbilical cord blood. As the EWG has stated, vulnerable babies are now being born “pre-polluted”.
So what? What’s the big deal in having some tiny amount of chemical X inside us? Well, PBDEs are hormone disruptors which have been shown to be toxic to the brain, nervous system, thyroid gland, and reproductive system (see here). How serious are these effects? The problem is that we just don’t know. But based on studies in lab animals (who have very similar body systems to us), the effects can potentially be severe. Remember that these are synthetic, industrial chemicals that our bodies simply do not know how to deal with. My suggestion: avoid them as much as you can!
To minimize exposure to PBDEs:
1. wipe the dust off electronics and power cords frequently with a damp paper towel, and toss the towel in the trash
2. cover up all exposed polyurethane foam and keep it covered; the plastics used in electronics and furniture foam are probably the 2 biggest sources of PBDE contamination in your home
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4. buy mattresses that have not been treated with PBDEs — in Canada and Europe, the most economical choices come from Ikea (due to flammability regulations, this may not be true in the U.S.), and there are other companies selling organic wool and cotton mattresses that are PBDE-free
5. cover conventional mattresses with a mattress pad and sheet, and wash these regularly
6. avoid clothing (e.g. kids pyjamas) or other things labelled “flame-resistant”; choose close-fitting cotton rather than baggy synthetic fibres
Reduction in PBDE exposure is an important measure in living a healthy, non-toxic lifestyle — good luck, and please comment if you have questions or complaints!
AM
