Flame retardants are found in nearly all manufactured materials, including plastics and surface coatings and finishings, as a precaution against the spreading of fire. The earliest form of flame retardants, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were banned in the United States in 1997, upon discovery of their toxicity. The newer and supposedly safer forms, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), are currently under review after their recent ban in Sweden in 2008.

Researchers at the University of California Berkeley conducted a study of 40 childcare centres, attended by 1 764 children in Monterey and Alameda, in a mix of urban, rural and agricultural areas. Air and floor dust samples were collected in the presence of the children and tested for 14 varieties of PBDEs and four non-PBDE flame retardants, including tris phosphate compounds, which are presumed carcinogens and hormone disruptors. Results of the study showed that PBDEs and tris phosphates were found in 100 percent of the dust samples collected.

Of the surveyed sites, 29 contained upholstered furniture, and 17 contained foam-based napping equipment. This resurfacing of older flame retardants comes as a surprise, considering the fact that earlier this year, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control specifically deemed foam-based nap mats, bassinets and infant travel beds as harmful to consumers, as they contain chlorinated tris phosphates.

“A growing body of research has found links between flame retardants and a range of human health effects, including neurodevelopmental delays in children. Children are more vulnerable to the health effects of environmental contaminants, so we should be particularly careful to reduce their exposure to harmful chemicals.” said study lead author Asa Bradman, associate director of the Center for Children’s Environmental Health Research at UC Berkeley.

 TB117-2013, a set of revised standards by Governor Jerry Brown, in place for January 2015, has promised to account for the health concerns posed by flame retardants while also allowing manufacturers to meet standards without the use of chemicals. The new regulation will require fabrics of upholstered furniture to withstand smolders, such as from lit cigarettes.

“Most upholstered fabrics, such as leather, are already smolder-proof. Consumers should verify that the furniture they are buying is free of flame retardants, especially when children will be exposed.” said Governor Jerry Brown.