Removing old furniture made with flame retardants from people’s homes can significantly reduce the amount of the toxic chemicals in blood, a new 10-year, peer-reviewed study by California regulators and public health groups has found.
The drop that researchers found was a “super big deal”, said Arlene Blum, the director of the Green Science Policy Institute who has for decades worked to reduce the level of flame retardants in consumer goods.
“To my mind, that’s a pretty dramatic change, and it shows how you can effect change and improve public health with a regulation,” Blum said.
Most furniture made with foam between about 1975 and 2015 contained any of a range of toxic flame retardants that are linked to serious health problems, and especially present a risk for kids.
In 2015, California scrapped requirements for several of the most toxic and common flame retardants used in furniture. The California department of public health and environmental non-profits at the time checked for flame retardants in the blood of dozens of people that had furniture with the chemicals, and monitored levels over the next 10 years.
Flame retardant levels dropped about four times faster in the blood of those that removed furniture with flame retardants compared with those who didn’t. The levels in blood on average were reduced by about half within just 1.4 years.
Flame retardants commonly used in furniture are linked to serious health issues, including cancer, neurotoxicity, thyroid disease, pre-term birth, decreased fertility, deficits in motor skills, and a drop in IQ in children.
During the mid-1970s, state and federal legislators passed laws requiring a range of products to meet flammability standards, including furniture, electronics, car seats and kids’ pyjamas. But the first generation of flame retardants were found to be highly toxic, and Blum led advocacy in 1977 that helped stop the use of the most dangerous in kids’ pyjamas.
Later generations of flame retardants have proven to be nearly as toxic as the first. In 2015, after years of pressure, California updated its flammability standards to eliminate a requirement for chemical flame retardants in furniture.
The retardants often break off from furniture and attach to dust that is inhaled or ingested. Researchers found much lower levels of flame retardants in the dust of homes from which the furniture was removed.
A few years later, the state banned some of the most dangerous flame retardant compounds in furniture and other goods, and Congress adopted a similar measure in 2020. The furniture industry has largely moved away from using any flame retardants, Blum said, meaning the level of the chemicals in Americans’ blood more broadly is probably dropping as the furniture is disposed of.
Blum recommends replacing furniture made between 1975 and 2015 with products made before or after that period. Replacing foam in couch cushions can be a more economical safeguard, she said. If those options are not in the budget, regularly dusting and using a vacuum with a Hepa filter can help reduce the amount of flame retardants in a home.
