With the new year, comes new opportunities to make a green new year’s resolution. For 2015, consider making a commitment to reducing your exposure to flame retardants. With the passage of SB 1019, as of January 1, 2015 furniture in California must be clearly labeled if it contains flame retardants or not. An easy way to get 2015 off to a greener and healthier start is to commit, both personally and at work, to make all future furniture purchases flame-retardant free. At the personal level, this is easy. At the institutional level, with a clear procurement policy, it is possible in fully-sprinklered buildings.
The regulatory framework for flame retardants has evolved over the past year. Below is a brief summary of the two key developments:
- TB 117-2013: In January, 2014 a new California furniture-flammability standard came into effect (TB-117-2013), allowing companies to meet the state standard without the use of harmful flame retardant chemicals. If you have a fully sprinklered building, you can opt to meet the TB-117-2013 standard, and this new standard can be met without the use of flame retardant chemicals.
- Senate Bill 1019: To date, it has not been easy to determine which products are actually flame retardant free. The new flame retardant labeling bill, Senate Bill (SB) 1019, will make things easier. SB 1019 requires manufacturers to label any furniture made after January 1, 2015, stating if the product “contains or does not contain” added flame-retardant chemicals.
Reason’s to Avoid Flame Retardants
Flame retardant chemicals can be found in many products: upholstered sofas and chairs (in both the foam and fabric), beds, electronics, and children’s clothing. The problem is that they can leach out of products, contaminating workplaces and homes and making their way into our bodies. According to the Center for Environmental Health (CEH), studies have found toxic flame retardants in the bodies of virtually all Americans tested and in nearly all workplace environments tested. “Some people still think that flame retardants in furniture are a good thing, that they actually help prevent fires. This is simply not true,” stressed Judy Levin, Pollution Prevention Director at CEH.
The Green Policy Science Institute summarizes, “Flame retardant chemicals are added to many different consumer products and are associated with a variety of serious health concerns, including disruption of hormones, developmental, and reproductive problems. Flame retardants do not stay in products- they are found in the blood, fat, and breast milk of nearly all people tested, as well being ubiquitous in wildlife and the environment worldwide.”
Pregnant women and young children are especially vulnerable. “American women’s breast milk is about ten to a hundred times higher levels than European breast milk,” explained Levin, because Europe phased out the most toxic flame retardants (PBDEs) much earlier than we did in the US. She continued, “Flame retardants pass through the placenta and can reach the fetus. Because infants brains, organs, and bodies are development rapidly, early chemical exposure can cause permanent health effects, like reduced IQs, reduced learning ability, poor fine motor coordination, and attention deficit disorder.” Young children are at a higher risk to exposure because they frequently put their hands, toys, and other objects in their mouths and because they tend to play on the floor, where contaminated house dust can accumulate.
Four Tips for Reducing Your Exposure
Below are four tips for how your individual choices can minimize your exposure.
- Create a Procurement Policy: At the institutional level, work with your procurement team and create a new standard to avoid flame retardants in all future institutional furniture purchases in fully sprinklered buildings.
- Look for Furniture Labeled Flame-Retardant Free: SB 1019 will require labeling on upholstered furniture to tell shoppers whether it contains toxic flame retardant chemicals, making it easier for you to know for sure whether a piece of furniture depends on toxic chemicals to meet flammability standards. When you order furniture, specify that you want a product labeled free of all flame retardant chemicals. Consider buying from the CEH’s list of companies that produce flame retardant free furniture. Other resources include CEH’s Guide to Flame Retardant-Free Office Furniture and the Green Science Policy Institute’s consumer resources, which includes a list of suppliers. According to Levin, until companies catch-up, your best bet is to custom order all new furniture and to make a specific request that it be labeled as flame retardant-free.
- Remember to Wash Your Hands: Beyond the obvious benefits of protecting yourself from germs, washing your hands is also an effective way to reduce your exposure to flame retardants. Make sure to wash your hands frequently, and always before eating.
- Use a Vacuum Cleaner Fitted with a HEPA Filter: Vacuums with a HEPA filter are more efficient at trapping small particles and will more likely remove contaminated dust from your home.
Learn More
The following organizations offer more tips and resources:
• Center for Environmental Health
• Green Science Policy Institute
• Environmental Working Group
Diagram from the Green Policy Science Institute.
Written by Green Impact, a sustainability consultant helping organizations make a greener impact.
