Think twice before taking a seat.
From home furniture to building materials, fire retardants are added to fabrics and other materials to slow the spread of fire. Despite being commonly used since the 1970s, health experts have long known about the toxic threats associated with many such chemicals, including cancer and birth defects – and as a result have phased out certain varieties.
However, a new study to be published in the August issue of Environmental International revealed that beloved broken sofas were throwing harmful dust into your home at alarming levels, according to researchers at the Silent Spring Institute.
“These are real risks,” said Kathryn Rodgers, a scientist and lead author. Studies have shown that these dangerous substances are associated with hormone disruption, immunosuppression, some cancers and, most worryingly, problems in fetal development and early childhood.
“When you look at some of these values, you say, it’s just a little dust. A drop in the bucket, “she told Fast Company. But after many hours on the couch, she explained, “these exposures come together. I’m day after day. And they are real. ”
What should a sitter do? Throw away that vintage sofa – or take me down – and get a modern model, the researchers suggest.
“[They] it didn’t make sense from a fire safety perspective – because the fires don’t start in the middle of your couch. “
Kathryn Rodgers, research author
Fire retardants became standard practice in 1975 after California – one of the largest furniture markets in the country, according to the Fast Company report – passed the law requiring the additive to manufacture and import furniture. Soon, the foam material used to create sofa cushions across the country was impregnated with provision.
In the early 2000s, scientists began to recognize potential health risks, and in 2013, California revised its standard, making the use of flame retardants optional in the manufacture of furniture. In 2020, the federal government followed suit, supporting California’s ambiguous position – meaning that some factories continue to use retardants, although they are increasingly avoidable.
To find out how much old couches loaded with chemicals are damaging American homes, researchers at the Silent Sprint Institute enrolled 42 households who were willing to have their old upholstered chairs replaced. Dust samples were collected from these houses before the sofa was changed and again with the arrival of the new seats.
They discovered the initial samples packed with worrying concentrations of fire retardants, which are released into the indoor environment every time a body hits the pillow.
But with a new couch six months apart, the toxic dust levels had sunk well into a safe margin, the researchers found.
The findings suggest that sofas made after 2014 contain significantly lower levels of harmful chemicals, and consumers would be wise to buy chairs produced after that date.
Also note the code “TB117-2013” on the furniture label, which indicates that the piece was made after the California standards changed. In some cases, the description indicates more definitively whether the material contains flame retardants with a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ indicated as confirmation.
In the past, the American Chemical Council claimed that the addition of these chemicals to furniture prevented about 360 deaths and 740 injuries each year. But the jury came out for Rodgers, who explained that a better product design made the flame retardant products almost obsolete.
“[They] it didn’t make sense from a fire safety perspective – because the fires don’t start in the middle of your couch, ”she said.