A new study has revealed that the family room couch could be toxic to your family.
The peer-reviewed study released this week tested 102 couch samples from across the United States purchased between 1985 and 2010 and found that 85 percent contained toxic or untested flame retardant chemicals. Twenty-four percent of the couches tested positive for the cancer-causing chlorinated Tris, which was banned from children’s pajamas decades ago.
The study titled “Novel and High Volume Use Flame Retardants in US Couches Reflective of the 2005 PentaBDE Phase Out” was published in Environmental Science and Technology and emphasizes the failures of inadequate federal laws on toxic chemicals. Weak federal laws have allowed toxic chemicals like flame retardants on to the market with limited health and safety information required. The study also shows an increase in the use of flame retardants in couches, despite no data demonstrating fire safety benefit from the use of such chemicals.
