Toxic flame retardant chemicals used in children’s car seats can harm major systems in the body, including the hormone, developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune systems. These chemicals pose the greatest risk to babies while their organs are still developing (prenatal and postnatal).
How bad are flame retardants in car seats?
However, flame retardants have been linked to a variety of negative health effects, including hormone disruption, impaired brain development, liver damage and cancer. … Children can be exposed to flame retardants in car seats by breathing in chemicals that leach into the air out of fabrics and foam.
How dangerous are flame retardants?
Flame Retardants have been shown to cause neurological damage, hormone disruption, and cancer. One of the biggest dangers of some flame retardants is that they bioaccumulate in humans, causing long-term chronic health problems as bodies contain higher and higher levels of these toxic chemicals.
Why do car seats have flame retardants?
Most flame retardant (FR) chemicals used in products like car seats are not strongly bound to the fabric or foam they are added to, so they easily migrate out and become airborne via dust. Human exposure may occur through breathing or ingesting dust and even through the skin.
Do stuffed animals have flame retardants?
Most plush toys are coated with toxic chemical flame-retardants. Unfortunately, the chemicals may be more dangerous to health and environment than any fire. … A 2011 study found toxic flame-retardants in eighty percent of children’s products, with chlorinated Tris being the most common.
What companies use flame retardant?
Membership is open to producers, distributors and companies that use flame retardants in their own equipment or product, and related trade associations.
- Albemarle Corporation.
- ICL Specialty Products North America Inc.
- ICL-IP America, Inc.
- LANXESS Corporation.
Can you wash flame retardant out of car seat?
When you buy a carseat, let it sit outside in the sun for a few days. That will allow for the most volatile chemicals to outgas before being enclosed in the car. Next, washing/scrubbing with certain cleaners can help reduce or remove the flame retardant present in the fabric cover.
Is fire retardant bad for lungs?
Lucas explains, the chlorine and bromine in these flame retardants can prevent complete oxidation of hydrocarbons resulting in more smoke and soot. “These combustion byproducts may be directly toxic or cause such irritation that they impair vision and breathing, ultimately resulting in incapacitation.
What do flame retardants do to the body?
Studies in laboratory animals and humans have linked the most scrutinized flame retardants, called polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs, to thyroid disruption, memory and learning problems, delayed mental and physical development, lower IQ, advanced puberty and reduced fertility.
What is flame retardant free?
Hazardous chemicals have no place in products that are in direct contact with a child’s skin and in their breathing zone. Below is a list and a table of FR-free seats currently on the market. …