Why Your Couch
Is Killing You
August 27, 201
Story at-a-glance
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Flame-retardant chemicals are ubiquitous in most couch
cushions (and mattresses), and can easily migrate from the
foam and into household dust
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Children often pick up dust on their hands and transfer it
into their mouths
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Researchers detected a flame-retardant chemical called
TDCIPP in 100 percent of study participants
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The study found the average concentration of flame
retardants in children was close to five times that of their
moms
-
Children who wash their hands at least five times a day have
30 percent to 50 percent lower levels of flame retardants on
their hands than children who wash their hands less
frequently
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Sitting on your couch for extended periods of time is also
linked to health problems, including heart disease,
diabetes, and premature death, especially if you don’t
interrupt your sitting with intermittent movement
By Dr. Mercola
A flame-retardant chemical known as chlorinated tris (TDCIPP) was
removed from children's pajamas in the 1970s amid concerns
that it may cause cancer, but now it’s a ubiquitous addition to
couch cushions across the US.
It can easily migrate from the foam and into household dust,
which children often pick up on their hands and transfer into their
mouths. A new study by scientists at the Environmental Working Group
(EWG) and Duke University revealed just how ubiquitous this chemical
actually is, as they found traces (and more) of TDCIPP in every
study participant tested.
Children May Have Fives Times More Flame-Retardant Chemicals Than
Their Moms
Aside from finding TDCIPP in 100 percent of study participants,
the researchers found the average concentration in children was
close to five times that of their moms.1
High levels of flame-retardant chemicals used to make FireMaster
flame-retardant products were also detected.
Children are thought to have higher exposures to many types of
chemicals because they spend more time on the floor, where
contaminated dust settles, and also put their hands in their mouths
more often than adults.
Since these toxins are not chemically bound to the plastics,
foam, fabrics, and other materials to which they're added, they
easily leach out into your home where they accumulate in household
dust.2
As reported by EWG:3
“A study of house dust collected in California homes in
2006 and in 2011 found 41 different fire retardant chemicals in
at least half of the samples. The same study reported
significantly higher levels of Firemaster ® 550 compounds in
2011 compared to 2006, indicating increasing use.
The levels of TDCIPP in some house dust exceeded the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency’s health risk guidelines.”
The Duke researchers revealed in a separate study that children
who wash their hands at least five times a day have 30 percent to 50
percent lower levels of flame retardants on their hands than
children who wash their hands less frequently.4
Unfortunately, even though children are among those most at risk
from flame-retardant chemicals’ ability to disrupt and harm
development, products intended for kids and babies are
among those most likely to be doused in flame-retardant
chemicals.
For instance, such chemicals were detected in 60 percent of 2011
car seats tested by The Ecology Center,5
most likely in the polyurethane foam. A separate study in
Environmental Science & Technology6
also detected flame-retardant chemicals in 80 percent of the
following children's products tested:
Nursing pillows |
Baby carriers |
Car seats |
Changing table pads |
High chairs |
Strollers |
Bassinets |
Portable cribs |
Walkers |
Baby tub inserts and bath slings |
Glider rockers |
Sleeping wedges |
Couch Cushions and Mattresses Are Among the Worst Offenders
In 1975, California Technical Bulletin 117 (TB117) was passed. It
requires furniture sold in California to withstand a 12-second
exposure to a small flame without igniting.
Because of California's economic importance, the requirement
became more or less a national standard, with large amounts of
flame-retardant chemicals added to household goods.
Research published in Environmental Science & Technology
revealed that 85 percent of couch foam samples tested contained
chemical flame retardants.7
The samples came from more than 100 couches purchased from 1985 to
2010.
As of July 1, 2007, all US mattresses are required to be highly
flame retardant as well, to the extent that they won't catch on fire
if exposed to a blowtorch. This means that the manufacturers are
also dousing them with highly toxic flame-retardant chemicals, which
do NOT have to be disclosed in any way.
If you want to avoid flame retardants in your mattress, you can
have a licensed health care provider write you a prescription for a
chemical-free mattress, which can then be ordered without flame
retardants from certain retailers.
You can also find certain natural mattresses on the market that
don’t contain them. For instance, most wool mattresses do not have
flame-retardant chemicals added because wool is a natural flame
retardant.
Given the blatant dangers posed by flame retardants, in late
November 2013 California’s governor ordered that TB117 be rewritten
to ensure fire safety without the use of these chemicals. Starting
in January 2014, furniture manufacturers began producing furniture
that’s not required to use flame-retardant chemicals, and full
compliance is expected by January 2015.
Unfortunately, the updated law only states that the chemicals are
no longer required; it doesn’t ban them outright. This means that
some companies may continue to use them, and if you’re in the market
for new furniture, you’ll need to ask for that made without
flame-retardant chemicals.
What Are the Health Risks of Flame-Retardant Chemicals?
Flame-retardant chemicals have been linked to serious health
risks, including infertility, birth defects, neurodevelopmental
delays, reduced IQ scores and behavioral problems in children,
hormone disruptions, and various forms of
cancer.
The risks may be especially dangerous to children, as research
revealed that children born to women who were exposed to high levels
of flame-retardant chemicals called polybrominated diphenyl ethers
(PBDEs) during pregnancy had, on average, a 4.5 point decrease in
IQ.8
Such children are also more prone to hyperactivity disorders.
PBDEs were voluntarily withdrawn from the American market in
2004, but there are still many products on the market that were
manufactured before that time – and these products can continue to
release PBDEs into your environment.
Previous research has suggested PBDEs may also lead to decreases
in TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone).9
When present with normal T4 levels, low TSH is typically a sign that
you're developing hyperthyroidism, which can have significant
ramifications both for you and your unborn child if you're pregnant.
And these chemicals aren’t only dangerous when they transfer into
your household dust and indoor air. Ironically, when and if they do
catch fire, these chemicals outgas toxins into your air that may
kill you faster than “regular” smoke alone. When on fire, objects
doused in flame retardants (yes, they can still catch fire) give off
higher levels of carbon monoxide, soot, and smoke than untreated
objects. These three things are more likely to kill a person in a
fire than burns, which means flame-retardant chemicals may actually
make fires more deadly.
Flame-retardant chemicals belong to the same class of chemicals
as DDT and PCBs (organohalogens), and like the former, they too
build up in the environment. These chemicals also react with other
toxins as they burn to produce cancer-causing dioxins and furans.
This helps explain why female firefighters aged 40 to 50 are six
times more likely to develop breast cancer than the national
average, likely due to
California’s early use of flame-retardant chemicals.
Firefighters of both genders also have higher rates of cancer, in
part because of the high levels of dioxins and furans they’re
exposed to when flame-retardant chemicals burn.
Flame-Retardant Furniture Probably Won’t Save Your Life in a Fire…
Flame-retardant chemicals were developed in the 1970s, when 40
percent of Americans smoked and cigarettes were a major cause of
fires. The tobacco industry, under increasing pressure to make
fire-safe cigarettes, resisted the push for self-extinguishing
cigarettes and instead created a fake front group called the
National Association of State Fire Marshals. The group pushed for
federal standards for fire-retardant furniture… and their efforts
paid off.
The chemical industry claims that fire-retardant furniture
increases escape time in a fire by 15-fold. In reality, this claim
came from a study using powerful, NASA-style flame retardants, which
did give an extra 15 seconds of escape time. This is not the same
type of chemical used in most furniture, and government and
independent studies show that the most widely used flame-retardant
chemicals provide no benefit for people while increasing
the amounts of toxic chemicals in smoke. Drops in fire-related
deaths in recent decades are not related to the use of
flame-retardant chemicals, but instead are due to newer construction
codes, sprinkler systems, fire alarms, and self-extinguishing
cigarettes. For a demonstration of just how useless
flame-retardant furniture is, see the featured video above.
Reduce Your Family’s Exposure to Flame Retardants
There’s a good chance flame-retardant chemicals are lurking in
your home right now. Until these chemicals are removed from use
entirely, tips you can use to reduce your exposure around your home
include:10
- Be especially careful with polyurethane foam products
manufactured prior to 2005, such as upholstered furniture,
mattresses, and pillows, as these are most likely to contain
PBDEs. If you have any of these in your home, inspect them
carefully and replace ripped covers and/or any foam that appears
to be breaking down. Also, avoid reupholstering furniture by
yourself, as the reupholstering process increases your risk of
exposure.
- Older carpet padding is another major source of PBDEs, so
take precautions when removing old carpet. You'll want to
isolate your work area from the rest of your house to avoid
spreading it around, and use a HEPA filter vacuum to clean up.
- You probably also have older sources of the PBDEs known as
Deca in your home, and these are so toxic they are banned in
several states. Deca PBDEs can be found in electronics like TVs,
cell phones, kitchen appliances, fans, toner cartridges, and
more. It's a good idea to wash your hands after handling such
items, especially before eating, and at the very least be sure
you don't let infants mouth any of these items (like your TV
remote control or cell phone).
- As you replace PBDE-containing items around your home,
select those that contain naturally less flammable materials,
such as leather, wool, and cotton.
- Look for organic and "green" building materials, carpeting,
baby items, mattresses, and upholstery, which will be free from
these toxic chemicals and help reduce your overall exposure.
Furniture products filled with cotton, wool, or polyester tend
to be safer than chemical-treated foam; some products also state
that they are "flame-retardant free."
- PBDEs are often found in household dust, so clean up with a
HEPA-filter vacuum and/or a wet mop often.
Another Way Your Couch Can Kill You That Has Nothing to Do with
Chemicals…
Flame-retardant chemicals are only one major health risk linked
to sitting on your couch. The other? Sitting in and of itself,
assuming it’s done excessively (and most people sit excessively).
One 2012 analysis that looked at the findings from 18 studies found
that those who sat for the longest periods of time were twice as
likely to have diabetes or heart disease compared to those who sat
the least.11
Sitting for extended periods of time also increases your risk for
premature death, and separate research found that women who sat
for more than seven hours a day had a 47 percent higher risk of
depression than women who sat for four hours or less per day.12
Even temporary vigorous exercise can't completely compensate for
the damage incurred by prolonged daily sitting. In fact, it's
becoming increasingly clear that staying active—and by that I mean
engaging in virtually any physical movement—as much as
possible, throughout the day, is critical for health and longevity.
So keep in mind that your couch can kill in one of two ways… via
chemical exposures and by seducing you into too much sitting.
Of course, you may also be doing a lot of sitting elsewhere, like
at your office desk or in your car. The following videos, featuring
Jill Rodriguez, offer a series of helpful intermittent movement
beginner and advanced exercises you can do right at your desk (or
virtually anywhere). For a demonstration of each technique, please
see the corresponding video in the two tables below. I suggest
taking a break to do one set of three exercises anywhere from once
every 15 minutes to once per hour throughout your day. For even more
suggestions, please refer to my previous article on
intermittent movement.
Technique #1: Standing Neck-Stretch: Hold
for 20 seconds on each side.
Technique #2: Shoulder Blade Squeeze: Round
your shoulders, then pull them back and pull down. Repeat for
20-30 seconds.
Technique #3: Standing Hip Stretch: Holding
on to your desk, cross your left leg over your right thigh and
"sit down" by bending your right leg. Repeat on the other side.
Technique #4: The Windmill: Stand with feet
shoulder-width apart, then pivot your feet to the right. Push
your hip out to the left. Raising your left arm skyward, and
your right arm toward the floor, lower your body toward the
floor while looking up, and then raise your torso back to
standing position. Repeat on the other side.
Technique #5: Side Lunge: Starting with your
feet together, take a medium step sideways, and bend down as if
you're about to sit. Use your arms for balance by reaching out
in front of you. Return to starting position, and repeat 10-20
times. Repeat on the other side.
Technique #6: Desk Push-Up: Place hands a
little wider than shoulder-width apart on your desk. Come up on
your toes to make it easier to tip forward. Do 10 repetitions.
Technique #7: Squat to Chair: With your feet
shoulder-width apart, sit down, reaching forward with your
hands, and stand back up in quick succession. Do 15-20
repetitions.
Technique #8: Single Leg Dead Lift: Place
your right hand on your desk, and place your weight on your
right leg. Fold your torso forward, while simultaneously lifting
your left leg backward. Do 10 repetitions on each side.
Technique #9: Mountain Climber: Get into a
push-up position on the floor. Pull your right knee forward to
touch your right wrist or arm, then return to push-up position.
Repeat on the other side. Try to pick up the pace, and do 20
quick repetitions.
Standing Neck Stretch
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Shoulder Blade Squeezes
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Standing/Seated Hip Stretch
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Windmill
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Side Lunge
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Push up
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Squat to Chair
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Single Leg Dead Lift
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Mountain Climber
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Copyright 1997- 2014 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/08/27/flame-retardant-couch-cushions.aspx
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