KNBC Los Angeles
Published November 29, 2007
LOS ANGELES -- Do you know what kind of fire-retardant chemicals are in your furniture? They are being found in human blood and breast milk, and now new regulations may result in more of these chemicals in American homes.
Are they safe? Dr. Bruce Hensel reports.
Transcript of the report aired on Nov. 28, 2007, follows.
HENSEL: Every year, house fires wreak destruction on property, and lives. One way of reducing these fires, is through laws that require household items to be more fire resistant. So manufacturers apply fire retardants chemicals to furniture foam, electronic equipment and other consumer products.
NANCY FORD, Consumer Product Safety Commission: What we sought to do is limit the intensity and the spread of the fire. This will give consumers added time to discover the fire and escape their homes.
HENSEL: They may slow fires, but some scientists now warn these fire-retardant chemicals could potentially be unleashing a much bigger threat to human health when they are breathed in by people and pets, possibly causing neurological and developmental damage, as well as cancer.
Scientist Arlene Blum is using an X-ray gun to test for the presence of fire retardants in the furniture of new mother Katrina Alcorn. In tests, traces of the chemicals were found in her breast milk.
KATRINA ALCORN, MOTHER: Mother's milk is the sacred thing; it's when you think of the most pure symbols, mother's milk is right there at the top.
HENSEL: Not necessarily anymore. Fire-retardant chemicals called PBDE's have now been detected in the breast milk of American women at levels higher than anywhere else in the world. And chances are, you have fire retardants in your blood.
BILL WALKER, Environmental Working Group: These are chemicals that my grandfather and grandmother did not have in their bodies.
CARY COBURN, Researcher, UC Riverside: We're finding them in the human body, and their concentrations are doubling every 3 to 5 years.
HENSEL: But are they dangerous? In numerous laboratory tests on animals, PBDEs, have caused developmental and neurotoxic damage.
(See Section 1, below, for links.)
MARGARITA CURRAS-COLLAZO, Neuroscientist, UC Riverside: We have found that these toxicants can actually suppress brain activity.
HENSEL: And there are other concerns. A mysterious epidemic of thyroid disease in cats may be linked to flame retardants, according to a recent, though small, study by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency researchers.
The biggest worry is how these chemicals will affect young children.
COBURN: PBDEs get into the placenta; into the baby as it suckles, into the toddler -- into the house dust (she's) ingesting.
The effects on the developing nervous system are something that is of great concern.
HENSEL: But the Bromine Science and Environmental Forum, an organization that represents the biggest manufacturers of fire retardants, calls the studies on PBDE's "limited" and says that the levels found in people are "well below potential levels of concern."
In a statement, BSEF says that one type of PBDE, Deca, which is used on televisions and other electronics, has been tested extensively and "has been found to present no significant risks to humans or the environment."
(See Section 2, below, for links.)
But there are other kinds of fire retardants of concern, made by the same companies. A chemical called chlorinated tris was taken out of children's pajamas 20 years ago because it was a probable carcinogen, but now that same chemical is back, used in upholstered furniture.
Scientist admit there's no direct proof, but say there's enough to warrant caution and more research.
ARLENE BLUM, Bio-Physical Chemist: I think these flame retardants are like the asbestos of our time. It's soemething that's all around us, that hints it's causing problems, but it took years to show the problems asbestos was causing.
HENSEL: How do you know what kind of fire-retardant chemicals are in your furniture? There's no way of knowing, because the govenment does not require labeling. And even though some forms of the these chemicals have been banned, they're being replaced with other chemicals within the same family, of which we know very little about.
CURRAS-COLLAZO: These chemicals are innocent until proven guilty. There is no regulation that requires testing of these compounds before they're put into consumer goods. That's something that we believe needs to change.
HENSEL: Despite these concerns, regulatory agencies are moving forward with stricter flammability standards for pillows, mattress pads, and comforters... and that could mean more fire retardants in American homes.
Back at Katrina's house...
BLUM: This is 5.86 percent bromine. That's 58,600 ppm; that's about high as you ever see.
HENSEL: Blum found the biggest culprit was the foam in the rocker Katrina uses to nurse the baby.
BLUM: Five percent of your cushion is bromine. That means more than 5 percent is this toxic fire-retardant molecule.
ALCORN: We should not have to worry about this stuff ... I don't want to wait and find out that my child has a serious problem because they were exposed to this stuff. That's just too important.
HENSEL: Keep in mind that breastfeeding is still the healthiest choice for your baby. The benefits far outweigh the risks, but more research is needed.
