By: Angela Saltamartini

Materials Researcher, Blogger 

August 19, 2019

Did you know that our residential upholstered furniture, mattresses, bedding, children’s products, carpeting and window treatments often contain toxic flame retardants? These added chemicals are intended to protect us. However, there is little data supporting the need for flame retardants which, in any event, will not stop a fire entirely.  Meanwhile there is significant data and chamber testing available like GreenGuard Gold certification which demonstrates how Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) off-gas from these residential products and negatively impact indoor air quality.

That’s right! The flame retardants within our carpeting, furniture, children’s products and chemical treatments on windows emit invisible, lingering VOCs into the air. Prolonged exposure can cause a host of problems, such as endocrine disruption, reproductive harm, pulmonary conditions and even cancer. Building inhabitants are not the only ones exposed to VOCs — first responders to structural fires also face increased exposure.

Currently, there are two Massachusetts bills in review which aim to ban 11 types of flame retardants from consumer products. You can review the bills here: Support House Bill 3500 and Senate Bill 1230.  Back in May, our senior sustainability analyst, Lisa Carey Moore, spoke to legislators on behalf of the USGBC, expressing strong support for both bills.

“Without strong legislation and considering the growing evidence that chemical companies do not adequately study and disclose how their chemicals impact our health and the environment, there’s a real hunger for transparency in the building materials marketplace,” said Moore.

We encourage individuals and firms who support the bills to sign here!