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Playing on Poisons: Children’s Furniture Found with Harmful Flame Retardant Chemicals
Source: Center for Environmental Health, Date: , 0201
Kids’ products with Disney, Marvel,
Nickolodeon characters contain chemicals linked to cancer, hormone disruption,
and other serious health problems
Oakland, CA – Independent testing commissioned
by the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) and 15 other organizations has
found harmful flame retardant chemicals in children’s chairs, couches and other
kids’ furniture purchased from Walmart, Target, Kmart, Toys R Us/Babies R Us
and other major retailers throughout the U.S. and Canada. Many of the items
found with flame retardants are designed with colorful children’s characters
including Disney Princesses, Nickelodeon’s Dora the Explorer, Marvel Comics
Spiderman and others. Fire safety scientists say that flame retardant
chemicals, which have been linked to cancer, hormone disruption, infertility
and other serious health problems, do not provide fire safety benefits in
furniture.
“Most parents would never suspect that their
children could be exposed to toxic flame retardant chemicals when they sit on a
Mickey Mouse couch, but our report shows that children’s foam furniture can
carry hidden health hazards,” said CEH’s Caroline Cox, co-author of the
report “Playing on Poisons: Harmful Flame Retardants in Children’s Furniture” released
by CEH today. “Companies that sell these products need to know that parents
want safer products made without these harmful chemicals.”
In July and August, CEH and its partner groups
purchased 42 items of children’s furniture from 13 states and Canada. Items
were purchased from major retailers and sent to Duke University researcher
Heather Stapleton for laboratory analysis. Dr. Stapleton is the country’s
foremost researcher on testing for flame retardant chemicals in consumer products.
Her previous studies on flame retardants in furniture, baby products and other
consumer goods have been published in leading peer-reviewed journals and
featured in major national news reports.Dr. Stapleton’s analysis found four
flame retardant chemicals (including two chemicals that are mixtures of various
flame retardants) in 38 of 42 products tested. Two products contained more than
one chemical. The chemicals found were:
• Firemaster 550 (found in 22 items): a mixture
of four chemicals, studies have linked exposure to Firemaster 550 with obesity
and disruption of the bodies’ natural hormone functioning. Hormone altering
effects are especially troubling in children’s products, since children’s
developing bodies are especially vulnerable to hormonal changes.
• TCPP (Tris, 15 items): animal studies have
linked exposure to TCPP to genetic damage and changes in the length of the
menstrual cycle.
• TDCPP (chlorinated Tris, 2 items) is
identified as a chemical known to cause cancer by the state of California and
the National Research Council. Studies have also linked exposures to genetic
damage, effects on fertility and natural hormones, and damage to developing
embryos. Health concerns forced companies to remove TDCPP from children’s
pajamas in the 1970’s yet it is still widely used today in furniture and other
products.
• Butylated Triphenyl Phosphate (1 item):
According to the EPA, health concerns associated with exposures to Butylated
Triphenyl Phosphate, a mixture of four chemicals, include decreased fertility
and abnormal menstrual cycles.
Children are more vulnerable to toxic flame
retardant chemicals than adults are because of their behaviors and physical
needs. Children put their hands in their mouths often, and touch whatever is
near them. Young children crawl and play where dust containing high levels of
flame retardants settles in homes, daycares and schools. A recent study from UC
Berkeley’s Center for Environmental Research found that children carry on
average three times higher levels of flame retardants in their bodies than the
levels found in their mothers. Other recent studies show that children of color
and children from low-income communities have higher levels of flame retardant
chemicals in their bodies than levels found in white children.
To read more-
http://www.ceh.org/news-events/press-releases/content/playing-on-poisons-childrens-furniture-found-with-harmful-flame-retardant-chemicals/
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