Editor's note: This article is a reprint. It was originally published on March 1, 2017.
In 1973, the U.S. government passed a law requiring all children's pajamas to be fire-resistant. The lawmakers believed that this law would help ensure the safety of citizens and protect public health. However, as the saying goes, the medicine is sometimes worse than the disease.
Here’s why: Less than five years later, scientists discovered that Tris Bromide, a chemical used to make flame-retardant fabrics, was linked to increased cancer rates. Tris Bromide was then banned from children’s sleepwear.
Until 1977, other chemicals were used to make items such as baby toys, clothing, carpets, sofas, curtains, and even bed mattresses fire-resistant. As it became increasingly known that the chemicals were causing more health problems, widespread concern was raised. Consumer Reports noted:
“In 2004, these concerns led to a voluntary phase-out of one of the most commonly used flame retardant compounds, pentaBDE, after it was linked to health problems and was detected in people's bodies at alarming levels. Many manufacturers began using organophosphates instead.”1
But a comprehensive study led by Duke University found that:2 Two flame retardant chemicals from a class called organophosphates have been found in human urine, a study found. What’s more concerning is that two of the most commonly used organophosphates, TDCIPP and TPHP, have been steadily increasing in urine samples collected between 2002 and 2015.
Experts say this is a problem because these substances can cause not only cancer, but also reproductive problems, hormonal changes, thyroid regulation, neurological disorders, and endocrine disruption.
Exposure to flame retardant chemicals can occur in several ways.
One of the reasons organophosphate compounds are so dangerous is because they can be inhaled, swallowed, absorbed through the skin, and stored in fatty tissue.3 It also seeps into the environment. Consumer Reports said:
“More than 90 percent of 857 adults and children in the Duke-led study had two common organophosphates, TDCIPP and TPHP, in their urine. On average, levels of one of the two chemicals, TDCIPP, were 17 times higher in adults in 2015 than in 2002.”4
Organophosphates are used as both flame retardants and pesticides, but different organophosphates are typically used for each purpose. However, they share structural similarities. According to National Geographic:
“Organophosphates attack the nervous system in the same way as nerve agents like sarin… (and) are so toxic to humans that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken steps to limit the amount available to the public.”5
Why are toxic flame retardants still used?
Heather M. Stapleton, associate professor of environmental ethics and sustainable environmental management at Duke University and one of the study's authors, said:
“We know from animal studies that high doses of these chemicals can cause a range of toxic outcomes… This is a very controversial topic. We use these chemicals in furniture in large quantities, yet there is little or no data to suggest that they are effective in fire prevention.”6
“We’ve known for a long time that TDCIPP is bad for our health, but it’s still being used,” said Robin Dawson, an air pollution researcher at the Silent Spring Institute in Newton, Mass.7
Many scientists and consumer groups believe that the public is being unnecessarily exposed to highly toxic flame retardant chemicals, and question whether the benefits outweigh the risks, or more specifically, whether there are any benefits at all.
According to Science Times, many of the products have been poorly tested for safety and likely do not provide the fire safety benefits many people hope for.8 More and more state lawmakers are taking action on flame retardants.
For example, Washington state lawmakers have already banned the use of certain flame retardant chemicals (including polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs) in children's products and furniture, but manufacturers have simply replaced those chemicals with much more toxic alternatives.
How do organophosphate chemicals harm people and animals?
Age and exposure are factors that mitigate the risk of organophosphate exposure, as young and weak people are less able to remove the toxins from their bodies. Also, as the Environmental Working Group (EWG) points out:9
“Because young children breathe more air and are exposed to more dust particles relative to their body weight, flame retardants may accumulate in their bodies at higher levels than older children or adults.
Chemicals commonly used to cover furniture and treat cushions in baby products can accumulate in the air in your home and in the dust on floors where babies and toddlers play. Children’s frequent hand-to-mouth behavior can also increase exposure.”
Needless to say, bioaccumulation of flame retardants can lead to serious health problems over a lifetime, but the health problems may not be due to everyday chemical exposure.
As mentioned earlier, studies in humans and animals have linked organophosphate flame retardants to cancer, hormonal changes, and fertility problems.10
What you can do
You may want to do everything you can to rid your home of furniture, mattresses, clothing, food containers, and other items that may contain flame retardant chemicals, but this can be difficult and impractical because flame retardant chemicals are so widely used.
Additionally, when you go outside, there are likely personal and environmental hazards somewhere, but there are steps you can take to limit your exposure.
• Remove the dust — Dodson and his team at George Washington University conducted the study.11 A study of household dust found 45 potentially harmful toxins, including flame retardant chemicals.
Since Americans spend 90% of their time indoors – at school, in the office, at the gym, in the car, etc.:
“These places are usually filled with dust, and dust is more than just dirt. Household items like televisions, furniture, beauty products, cleaning products, and flooring release chemicals that go into the air and into the dust on the floor.
These chemicals can enter our bodies through the air and dust we breathe, through touching contaminated surfaces, and accidentally transferring them to food or our mouths with our hands contaminated with dirt. And some of these chemicals can contribute to health problems.”12
Sweep, dust, and vacuum as often as possible, and consider investing in a high-quality air purification system.
• Check the tags on your new furniture. In 2015, California enacted a law requiring all new upholstered furniture to be labeled to inform consumers whether it has been treated with flame retardant chemicals.
In other states, if there is no label, ask the salesperson where the upholstery came from and how it was made. If you are interested in learning more about upholstered furniture, you can send a sample of polyurethane foam to Duke University for free testing.13
• Check out all baby products — While some states have called for the removal of certain toxic flame retardant chemicals from items like baby clothes, bedding, car seats, and toys, many manufacturers haven’t gotten the memo. EWG notes:
“In 2003, EWG analyzed breast milk samples from 20 new mothers to measure levels of brominated flame retardants, known as PBDEs. We detected these chemicals in all of the study participants.
This study and others pressured the EPA and manufacturers to phase out PBDEs. But chemical companies replaced PBDEs with TRIS, and Americans’ exposure to these replacement chemicals increased dramatically.”14
• Get involved, stay informed, and support efforts to reduce toxic chemicals. Flame retardant chemicals can cause cumulative damage to your body, but they have been shown to break down over time when removed from your home and environment. In fact, 10 years after PBDEs were banned, studies showed that these chemicals were reduced by nearly 40 percent in women’s breast milk.15
