Your furniture looks good,
but is it good for you? Here’s
some startling news about a health hazard that may be lurking in your living
room and what you can do about it.
By Jennifer Uscher
When you buy a piece of upholstered furniture, your biggest concerns are usually aesthetic ones: Will that red cotton twill go with the rug? Is that slipcover too casual? Will a sectional overwhelm the room? That makes sense. After all, most of us keep our upholstered furniture for more than 10 years. But as you pore over fabrics and ponder cushion styles, what you may not realize is that the most important element to consider is invisible.
For
the past 30 years, flame-retardant chemicals known as polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs) have been added to polyurethane
foam – which is found in most upholstered furniture, as well as in other
household goods. “Every time you
sit down, it’s likely that a little puff of PBDE comes out of your chair or
sofa,” says Robert Bigsby, a professor at the Indiana University School of
Medicine. PBDEs are a real
problem. In animal studies, they
have been linked with thyroid and reproductive problems, suppression of the
immune system, and disruption of the development of the fetal brain, causing
deficits in learning and memory.
PBDEs may also break down in the body to form a compound that behaves
like an estrogen and may stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells, Bigsby
says. No studies to date have
looked at the effects of PBDE exposure on human health, but scientists are
concerned because chemicals are released from products during manufacture, use,
and disposal, and they are accumulating in the environment and in human
tissues.
The
United States is one of the world’s largest consumers and manufacturers of
PBDEs. “In North America, we’ve
seen very rapid increases in PBDE levels in people, wildlife, and samples of
air, soil, and sediment, “ says Linda Birnbaum, director of the Environmental
Protection Agency’s Experimental Toxicology Division. This accumulation is worrisome because PBDEs are persistent,
meaning they linger in the environment indefinitely. Researchers suspect people are exposed to them mainly
through household dust, indoor air, and foods, she says. Several studies have shown that the
PBDE levels in the blood and breast milk of Americans are the highest in the
world, from 10 to 100 times higher than those of Europeans. The PBDE levels of some breast milk
samples approached those that have caused neurological damage in rats.
Fortunately,
PBDEs are losing ground. Two of
the three types of PBDE mixtures, penta and octa, were banned by the European
Union in August 2004 and are now largely being phased out in the United States
as well. (Penta is used in the
polyurethane foam in furniture, carpet padding, and mattresses; octa is in
plastics for computers and small appliances.) Great Lakes Chemical Corporation, the only U.S. manufacturer
of penta, voluntarily ceased production in December, 2004. And the EPA is proposing a regulation
that would require companies to notify the agency of new production or
importation of penta and octa so that it can regulate future use.
California
is banning the use of penta and octa starting in 2008; several other states,
including Maine, Michigan, and Washington, have passed or proposed legislation
prohibiting the use of one or more PBDE products. Penta will still be added to new furniture, however, until
manufacturers use up their stock (no one can say how long that will take); it’s
also possible that some imported furniture – 17 percent of upholstered
furniture purchased in the U.S. is made abroad – could contain the chemical.
The
third PBDE mixture, deca (found in the housings of TVs, stereos, and other
electronics, and in the backings for upholstery and curtains), is still
produced in large quantities and accounts for most of the PBDE market. Deca is considered less toxic than
penta and does not accumulate in the body as much as penta does, but it has
been found in low levels in breast milk and blood samples. “Deca might be a Trojan horse,” says
Kim Hooper, supervising scientist at the California EPA. “It looks safe at first, but the
molecules may break down in the environment into harmful compounds.” Some studies have already shown this
effect (more studies are underway), and the European Union is considering a ban
on deca.
It’s
unclear how much U.S. furniture has been treated with PBDEs or other flame
retardants. According to the
American Home Furnishings Alliance, most U.S. furniture manufacturers comply
with the state of California’s strict furniture flammability standards, meaning
it’s likely that most polyurethane foam was treated with penta until production
was discontinued recently. Other
industry sources counter that less than half of foam has been treated to meet
California standards. Because
manufacturers and retailers are not required to disclose whether PBDEs are in
their products, there’s no sure way to tell if a piece of furniture or other
item contains the toxins.
In
Sweden, one of the first countries to reduce PBDE use, levels in breast milk
have fallen 30 percent since 1997.
It’s possible, given the phaseout of PBDEs here, that levels in humans
and animals will also begin to decline.
In the meantime, here are six strategies to reduce your exposure:
-Buy
furniture and electronics from companies that have reduced or eliminated the
use of PBDEs in some or all of their products. We asked manufacturers of 35 furniture brands about PBDE use
and compiled a list of brands that are PBDE-free (see “Feel-Good
Furniture”). In addition, Apple,
Canon, Dell, IBM, Intel, Ericsson, Fujitsu, Hitachi, Motorola, NEC, Panasonic,
Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Volvo have reduced or eliminated PBDE use.
-Ask
retailers and manufacturers which types of flame retardants are in their
products, and let them know that you want less-toxic alternatives to
PBDEs.
-When
shopping for a mattress, consider wool filling, which is naturally
flame-resistant. Retailers can
also special-order a conventional mattress that hasn’t been treated with flame
retardants if you give them a doctor’s note stating you require it (you don’t
need to tell them why).
-Get
rid of dust – which will diminish your exposure to PBDEs already in your home –
with a HEPA vacuum.
-Opt
for hard flooring rather than carpeting, because carpet padding often contains
the penta form of PBDE.
-Watch your diet: Eat lean meat and low- or no-fat dairy foods. Although researchers don’t fully understand how PBDEs can migrate from a couch to a cow, they do know that PBDEs accumulate at higher levels in fatty foods than in low-fat ones.