PBDEs in Mattresses May Put Pregnant Women in Danger
October 20, 2011
By Dr. Mercola
California has strict flammability laws that require all upholstered furniture and bedding products sold in the state to be flame-retardant.
The law does not require the use of toxic PBDE chemicals (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) to achieve this, but they are the cheapest way for manufacturers to meet the standard requirements.
As a result, upholstery and mattresses sold in California are often pumped full of PBDEs and now future generations may suffer for it.
Record Levels of PBDEs Found in Northern California Pregnant Women
Upon testing blood levels of PBDEs in 25 second-trimester pregnant women in California, researchers found the highest-ever reported levels worldwide. They also found indications that the chemicals interfere with thyroid function, a finding that previous studies have also revealed.
California residents do have some of the highest levels of all, due to the state’s strict fire safety standards. A separate study in Environmental Health Perspectives recently found that California children’s PBDE levels were seven times higher than levels found in Mexican children.
But this doesn’t mean children and adults in the rest of the United States are not at risk. The U.S. implemented fire safety standards in the 1970s that over time has led to more and more products adopting the use of PBDEs to meet the stringent regulations. (Read more)
