What’s in your couch?

By Susan Eastwood - Follow Susan on Twitter (@SCEastwood)

Credit: Arlen, PhotoPin

Most of our home furniture is padded with foam to make it comfortable. In the past, high levels of flame retardant chemicals were added to the foam in furniture and baby products to meet the outdated furniture flammability standard known as Technical Bulletin 117 (TB117). These chemicals do not provide a significant fire safety benefit and they are associated with serious health issues, including cancer, hormone disruption, and learning disorders[1]. Babies and young children are most vulnerable to the toxic effects of these chemicals since their bodies and brains are still developing.

One of the main sources of flame retardants in your home is the couch. Flame retardants escape and end up in the dust and air, increasing as the foam gets older and starts to break down. Toddlers have the highest levels of exposure because of their hand-to-mouth behavior and proximity to the floor where dusts settles. Biomonitoring studies on children have shown extremely high levels of flame retardants in their blood^[2]. The chemicals are washed into the water supply and cause damage to wildlife and water quality[3].

But there is good news! As of January 2014, TB117 has been replaced by an improved

standard, TB117-2013, which can be met without flame retardants while maintaining fire safety.

This is helping to change the market! Several major furniture manufacturers have announced that they have removed toxic flame retardant chemicals from their products, or have plans to do so. Just this week, Ashley Furniture, the largest manufacturer and retailer of furniture in the country, announced that they would be phasing out toxic flame retardants in their furniture!

At this point, it is vital that Ashley Furniture takes the next step by announcing a clear public timeframe for phasing out these chemicals in furniture foam and fabrics. Customers want and have a right to know what they are buying.

Please take a minute and join us in thanking Ashley Furniture for doing the right thing by phasing out toxic flame retardants in furniture and encourage them to finish the job by publicly disclosing their timeframe for eliminating these harmful chemicals in furniture foam, textiles and backing.

[1] Shaw, Susan D., Arlene Blum et al., “Halogenated Flame Retardants: Do the Fire Safety Benefits Justify the Risks?” Reviews on Environmental Health Volume 25, no. 4 2010, pp261-305.

[2] Tests reveal high chemical levels in kids' bodies - CNN - Planet in Peril http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBXvJWWlgss

[3] From Homes to Waters: How Toxic Flame Retardants Pollute our Waterways http://www.watoxics.org/homestowaters