December 18, 2013
The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) has composed a report identifying harmful flame retardant chemicals found during recent tests of children's furniture.
The CEH report, entitled "Playing on Poisons: Harmful Flame Retardants in Children's Furniture," details the testing of 42 products in which 38 were found to have flame retardant chemicals.
The report shows four flame retardants to be prevalent in children's furniture:
- Firemaster 550 - a mixture of five chemicals namely, triphenyl phosphate, isopropyl phenyl diphenyl phosphate, di (isopropyl phenyl), phenyl phosphate, tetrabromobenzoate, and tetrabromodiethylhexyl phthalate. This chemical can cause obesity and can disrupt normal hormone function.
- Tris (1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCPP) - This chemical has been linked to genetic damage and changes in the length of the menstrual cycle.
- Tris (1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCPP) - This chemical is identified as a cancer-causing chemical and is linked to genetic damage, effects on fertility and natural hormones, and damage to developing embryos.
- Butylated triphenyl phosphate - a mixture of four chemicals, namely: triphenyl phosphate, mono butyl diphenyl phosphate, di (butyl phenyl) phenyl phosphate, and tris butyl phenyl phosphate. This chemical can cause decreased fertility and an abnormal menstrual cycle.