A new report links California furniture ingredient to birth defects, cancer
Friends of the Earth, an international grassroots environmental organization, sampled 350 pieces of furniture in both stores and homes from the San Francisco Bay Area and confirmed our fears.Its findings? A large percentage (more than 2/3 of the retail furniture and more than half of the household furniture) contained halogenated fire retardants (polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs), which have been linked to cancer, birth defects, hormone disruption, reproductive dysfunction and several learning disabilities.
In order to find the samples, researchers used an X-Ray Fluorescence gun to measure the amount of bromide in the samples. They described a "high" bromide reading as 1001 parts per million or higher. According to the report, some of the furniture tested as high as 60,000 ppm...yikes.
The chemicals seep into the bloodstreams of pregnant women, affecting fetuses via the umbilical cord or breast milk (North American women have the highest concentrations of the compound in their bodies compared to any other country). The compounds are also getting into our air and water, and even affecting household cats (poor kitties).
FYI, PBDEs are highest in furniture made of foam.
Friends of the Earth is a co-sponsor of a bill that would ban halogenated fire retardants in California furniture while promoting less-toxic alternatives. Right now, these laws only exist in California for furniture in public places, such as doctor's offices and schools.
Want an alternative? Below, find a few eco-friendly furniture options.
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