Children’s mattresses can release toxic chemicals during sleep, says study

Mattresses and bedding of babies and children emit toxic chemicals and flame retarding substances associated with brain and hormonal development disorders according to two new studies.

“We measured chemicals in the air of 25 bedrooms of children between 6 months and 4 years and found worrying levels of more than two dozen ftlates, flame retardants and UV filters,” said senior study author Miriam Diamond, professor of the Earth Sciences Department at the University of Toronto.

The highest levels of chemicals were found near children’s beds, according to the study published on Tuesday (15) in the magazine Environmental Science & Technology.

To check the reason, a complementary study From the Diamond team tested 16 new children’s mattresses and found that they were an important source of the exhibition. Then, using a simulation, the team found that the heat and weight of the sleeping child could increase the release of toxic products.

“They found that even something as simple as the body heat and weight of a child in a mattress can increase the release of toxic chemicals in the air that they breathe while sleeping – a factor that current safety standards do not consider,” said Jane Houlihan, director of healthy Babies, Bright Futures, an alliance of non -profit organizations, scientists and donors dedicated to dedicated to donors Reduce babies exposure to neurotoxic chemicals. She did not participate in the new research.

The study did not include brands names, but the researchers informed CNN that they were known, lower -cost mattresses found in large retailers. The tested mattresses were bought in Canada, but contained materials from the United States and Mexico. Therefore, the results probably apply to mattresses purchased throughout North America, Diamond said.

“The results show that parents cannot solve the problem with purchases only,” Houlihan said by email. “Tested mattresses have issued toxic chemicals regardless of their price, materials or country of origin. And some contained additives above legal limits.”

The American Chemistry Council, which represents the US chemical, plastic and chlorine industry, told the CNN by email that its members take security seriously.

“The use of flame-straight chemicals can be critical in situations where an accidental spark or short-circuit wire turns into flame,” said Tom Flanagin, senior director of group communications. “Although we need time to analyze the study in detail, the mere presence of a chemical is not indicative of risk or adverse effect. Today, any chemical introduced or imported to the US should undergo rigorous processes of review and approval by federal agencies such as EPA and FDA.”

Dangerous chemicals present in many products

Ftlates – found in hundreds of consumer products, such as food storage containers, shampoo, makeup, perfume and children’s toys – are known to interfere with the hormonal production mechanism of the body, known as the endocrine system. In addition, they are linked to early puberty, reproductive problems and genitals, hormonal problems and others, according to the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

“In our study, we find high levels of phthalate that are restricted in toys, but not in mattresses,” said Diamond.

Even small hormonal disturbances can cause “significant effects on development and biological,” says the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences on its website. Children are especially vulnerable to the disruptive impact of chemicals due to their rapidly developing brains and bodies.

Research has connected phthalates to reproductive problems, such as genital malformations and testicles not descended in male babies and less sperm count and testosterone levels in adult men. Studies have also linked phthalates to childhood obesity, asthma, cardiovascular problems, premature deaths and cancer.

Forbidden flames

A well -studied type of flame retardants called polybromed dipnilellic or PBDES is the “largest contributor to intellectual deficiency” in children, resulting in a total loss of “162 million IR points and more than 738,000 cases of intellectual disabilities” between 2001 and 2016, according to a January 2020 study.

Some of the PBDE flame retardants were banned by the US Environmental Protection Agency in 2012, but substitutes were introduced. One of them, named Ester organophosphate, or OPFRS, was measured in the new research. These chemicals were also associated with reproductive, development and nervous system disorders in young children.

“OPFRs are being used in large volumes, are persistent enough to be detected globally, have health risks and can cause damage to humans, especially children, at current levels of exposure,” wrote Diamond and his colleagues in a study October 2019.

One mattress contained 1,700 parts per million an organophosphate ester called TDCPP, a well -known carcinogen according to the National Library of Medicine Pubichem website. Another had 1,600 parts per million, Diamond said. A mattress had a certified label stating that the materials were in accordance with current regulations, Diamond said. However, the study found that it contained 1,800 parts per million pentaclorotiophenol, or PCTP, one of the five Flame retardants prohibited by EPA.

A flame retardant is illegal in Canada, but was found in a mattress and was banned in children’s sleeping clothes in the US. In some states, such as California with the approval of PROP 65, regulators have imposed additional limitations on products marketed for children, but there is no national law covering classes of flame retardants, despite a 2017 US consumer security committee report on the dangers of organophosphate esters.

“It is worrying that these chemicals are still found in children’s mattresses, although we know that they have no proven benefit of fire safety and are not necessary to fulfill the standards of inflammability,” said study co -author Arlene Blum, executive director of the Green Science Policy Institute.

“Parents should be able to put their children to sleep knowing they are safe and cozy,” Blum said in a statement.

What parents can do

Potentially toxic chemicals are so widespread in children’s products that it can be very difficult for parents to choose safer options, said Jane Muncke, administrative director and scientific director of Food Packaging Forum, a non -profit -based foundation in Zurich, Switzerland, which focuses on scientific communication and research.

“As a mother of children, I remember stress when choosing the right products for them, not just mattresses,” Muncke said by email. “We opted for big brands that I knew there were at least some policies about chemicals, and we tried to get natural materials – latex, cotton, merino – or second hand buying, because I figured most chemicals they would evaporate would have evaporated.”

One exception was her new baby cart, which she “left outside on the terrace under the scorching sun for about 4 weeks to get rid of all you,” said Muncke, who studies how plastics harm the body. “At that moment, the health of my children came first.”

Another tip: choose mattress components and neutral color sheets when possible; They are less likely to contain UV filters, which are added to avoid fading, Diamond said.

“Parents love those sheets, curtains, toys and bedding with bright colors and think they are encouraging their son,” she said. “But UV filters are added to slow the fading of these bright colors. So unfortunately, I would definitely choose more neutral colors.”

Wash the bedding and clothes used to sleep frequently, as they act as a protective barrier, absorbing some of these contaminants to help reduce exposure to the baby’s skin, Diamond said. “The sheets and sleeping clothes act as a very effective barrier,” she said. “And the cleaner the sheet or clothing is, the more chemicals can go from the source straight to the sheet or to the sleeping clothes.”

Surrying regularly, cleaning vacuum and avoiding personal care products containing many synthetic ingredients are other good choices, Muncke said. “Minimize extras in the cradle or bed, such as stuffed animals or mattress protectors, which may also contain toxic additives,” Houlihan said.

“The main conclusion is that we need more rigorous patterns for toxic additives in children’s products – especially in products that are in centimeters from a child’s nose and mouth for hours every day,” she added. “Companies should also do their part removing unnecessary chemicals and working on the development of products that are truly not toxic.”

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This content was originally published in children’s mattresses can release toxic chemicals during sleep, says study on CNN Brazil.

Source: CNN Brasil