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PHOTO GALLERIES
Easy Steps to a Healthier Home
Are there toxins in your water, linens, and toys? 18 ways to protect your family by Celeste Perron
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In the family room and bedrooms
POTENTIAL DANGER: Chemical flame retardants in bedding and furniture
The scoop: Tons of household products contain chemicals called PBDEs, which slow the rate at which something burns. The problem is, PBDEs have been shown to interfere with a child's developing nervous system, causing problems with memory and attention. What's more, they have widely contaminated the environment and even our bodies. Although there's still a scarcity of data regarding the danger to humans, several states are concerned enough to have banned the production and sale of certain PBDEs.
Healthy-home fixes:
Keep your house as dust-free as possible. (Yes, not easy for a busy family!) "PBDEs like to attach to dust particles," says Sarah Janssen, M.D.,
a science fellow at the NRDC in San Francisco. "And kids are especially likely to be exposed because they spend so much time on the floor and put things in their mouths."
Make small changes now. No need to chuck all the flame-retardant items in your house, but do consider replacing some. "Start with your children's bedrooms, since kids spend so much time in there and their faces are close to their bedding all night," says Dr. Greene. When you buy new bedding, switch to the organic-cotton kind (organic fibers are never treated with PBDEs, so opting for organic sheets and pillowcases is one way to make sure you avoid them). If you're ready to replace mattresses (including crib mattresses), consider looking for ones that meet flame-retardant standards without using chemicals. Also, toss old "egg crate" foam mattress pads, since they're coated with flame retardants.
A list of companies that make PBDE-free mattresses and bedding can be found at ewg.org/pbdefree.
Make bigger changes later. When it comes time to buy new furniture, many experts feel it's worth a little extra effort to find PBDE-free options. Most products aren't labeled as such, so you'll have to ask questions at the store (or even call the manufacturer) to find out whether or not an item contains PBDEs. As a general rule, pieces made of natural fibers such as cotton, wool, and hemp don't catch fire easily or burn quickly, and so are less likely to be treated. Ikea has stopped using PBDEs in its products; other furniture manufacturers are catching on to the concerns about fire retardants. For more information, go to cleanproduction.org/safer/about.php.
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