Last night while watching the San Francisco News I was discouraged once again as they reported that the chemical TRIS was found in the SF bay.
Deadly Chemical Shows Up In SF Bay
OAKLAND, Calif. — A little-noticed scientific study published last month concludes that a chemical widely used to prevent fires from starting in your furniture is now showing up in disturbing amounts in San Francisco Bay.
And that may not be the worst of it.
It’s called chlorinated tris, commonly used as a fire retardant in furniture.
Until about 30 years ago the substance was used in children’s pajamas but was discontinued because it was found to have cancer-causing properties.
“It was phased out of that use in the late 70s after findings came out suggesting it was a mutagen, said study author Susan Klosterhaus of San Francisco Estuary Institute. a non-profit organization that studies the environmental health of the Bay.
Specifically, researchers found the substance in high concentrations in much of the bay floor. That led the researchers to their main concern: chlorinated tris found in abundant quantities in furniture, used to retard fires in the foam of chairs and sofas.
The question of how a cancer-causing chemical in children’s pajamas banned decades ago is finding its way into the bay led the scientists back to foam furniture.
Klosterhaus says she suspects the chemical goes from the furniture, into house dust and then migrates to the bay.
“We know that people on an everyday basis and particularly children who crawl around on the floors inside homes are exposed to house dust,” she remarked.
KTVU made repeated attempts to get another perspective on the situation from the chemical manufacturer’s representatives, furniture makers and retailers — even bay area fire marshals.
One of the makers of the chemical, ICL Industrial Products with corporate headquarters in Israel did publish a response to the study. The company stated that European Union risk assessment studies show “very low levels found in the environment” that “do not represent any risk.”
Back in the bay area the chemicals cause concern for fishermen
Rudy Coronado, who had been fishing in the bay since childhood, said he gave it up long ago.
“The water just smelled, the fish came out of the water with bugs in them and little worms, and we started pulling away, further and further out,” he remarked.
Copyright 2009 by KTVU.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
It is amazing that after 40 years after banning the chemical in children clothing it is still around in its new use with furniture. TRIS is being used in furniture as a flame retardants. Unfortunately, it is now showing up in the the San Fransisco Bay. Back in 2008 California channel 5 aired an investigative report on the issue and how it effected cats. Friends of the Earth found reported “that over two- thirds of furniture in S.F. Bay Area stores, and half of the furniture in homes contains halogenated flame retardants.”
THE PROBLEM:
Toxic flame retardants threaten human health & the environment:
• Children are at greatest risk from exposure to brominated and chlorinated flame retardants.
In 1977, brominated Tris, which had been used to make children’s sleepwear fire resistant, was banned after it was found to be carcinogenic in animal tests and to leach into children’s bodies.5 Its replacement, chlorinated Tris, was also phased-out after it was found to be a mutagen, meaning it changed DNA. Today, chlorinated Tris is the second most-used fire retardant in furniture, and was recently cited by the Consumer Product Safety Commission to be “a likely carcinogen that could pose both cancer and non-cancer chronic health risks”. 6
• Brominated fire retardants known as PBDEs have been found in breast milk, in humans and animals.
PBDEs have increased 40-fold in human breast milk since the 1970s. Women in North America on average have ten times the levels of women in Europe or Asia. Recent studies found that pet cats in the U.S. have very high levels of PBDEs in their blood. Researchers have identified an association between PBDEs and the spike of hyperthyroidism rates in cats which emerged after PBDE’s began to be used in significant quantities in the consumer marketplace.7
• Growing rates of cancer in firefighters may be linked to fire retardant chemicals.
In November 2006, the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine published an analysis of 32 studies that found fire fighters have increased rates of four types of cancer: multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, prostate, and testicular cancer, likely resulting from workplace exposure to carcinogens like dioxins and furans, which are formed when fire retardant chemicals burn. 8
Back in February of 2008, Assemblyman Mark Leno had legislation pending that would outlaw the use of these chemicals as flame retardants. I guess it was not successful? The only question I have is, ” how can something be banned in clothing back in the 1970’s but ok in furniture now?
Feb 24, 2008 1:42 pm US/Pacific
Fire Retardants Linked With Health Problems
(CBS 5)
There’s a heated debate raging in Sacramento over the state’s strict flammability standards for furniture. At issue, whether the chemicals used to save lives are actually making people and pets sick.
California’s fire standards for furniture are the toughest in the country. AB 706 authored by Assemblyman Mark Leno, would outlaw halogenated flame retardants which are linked to cancer, birth defects, learning disabilities and a host of other health issues in humans and in pets.
Leno and others say that fatalities from house fires have decreased as smoke detectors, sprinklers and self extinguishing cigarettes have become commonplace. San Francisco home owner Ron Regina’s home is decorated with meticulous care, but he felt the need to test his furniture for halogenated flame retardants.
Russell Long of Friends of the Earth used a hand held device called an XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence Gun) to test for the chemicals, and found high levels of bromine in virtually every piece of upholstered furniture in Regina’s home.
“The whole thing is really disturbing because I buy organic food, I go to the gym, I take care of myself, and I buy less toxic cleaning ingredients. You think you’re doing everything right, but here you are…”
When buying furniture, you can’t tell from the label whether it contains flame retardants. They are sprayed on foam cushions inside all kinds of upholstery.
The problem is that these chemicals, linked to cancer and birth defects, don’t stay put. They migrate from the furniture into the air, the dust, the waterways, and end up in fish, animals and people.
Friends of the Earth found that over two- thirds of furniture in S.F. Bay Area stores, and half of the furniture in homes contains halogenated flame retardants.
Studies show flame retardant chemicals have been detected in blue whales in the Arctic and harbor seals in San Francisco Bay. Closer to home, house cats could be the proverbial canary in the coal mine; since they sleep on the furniture, and ingest dust, their exposure to the chemicals is high.
And even the Environmental Protection Agency suggests cats are paying a price with their health. Before the 1970’s, hyperthyroidism in cats was virtually unknown. Today it is one of the leading killers of cats.
The rise in the disease coincides with the introduction of flame retardants in the 1970’s. While California is the only state in the country with these standards, these flame retardants are found in homes in every state.
Manufactures meet California’s standards for all of their furniture, so that they won’t have to worry about carrying two different sets of inventory. Assemblyman Mark Leno has legislation pending that would outlaw the use of these chemicals as flame retardants.
Supporters say there are safer chemicals and materials. Meanwhile, the industry is taking credit for the lower death rates found across the country from fatal house fires.
There are ways to achieve fire safety without using chemicals. Certain natural materials are flame resistant, and manufacturers have also made great strides in creating fire resistant fabrics.
Furniture Companies that do not use halogenated flame retardants
Green Sage Furniture, www.greensage.com , Montauk Furniture www.montauksofa.com ,Cisco Brothers Furniture, Basal Living Collection line, www.ciscobrothers.com ,Verellen Home Collection, www.verellenhc.com .
For more information: www.foe.org, www.bluewaternetwork.org
Widely-used chlorinated Tris is hard to detect, hard to test for
Posted: July 13, 2008
Q. Who produces chlorinated Tris, and how much is produced?
A. Ten million to 50 million pounds of the chemical is made in the United States each year. There are 15 kinds of flame retardants in common use, according to a 2004 survey by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Chlorinated Tris is one of the three most widely used.
Q. How can I tell if my couch has chlorinated Tris?
A. Without conducting costly tests, you can’t. Manufacturers are not required to say which flame retardants they use. Many furniture retailers and even foam manufacturers say they are not certain which chemicals are in the flame retardants. Companies that make flame retardants say the chemical composition of their products is protected by trademark secrecy.
Q. How does the chemical get inside of me?
A. You can get it through your skin. Less is known about how much can be absorbed by inhaling it.
Q. Other than foam, where is chlorinated Tris found?
A. The chemical has been found in high concentrations in indoor dust. One study found especially high levels in a hospital ward, likely from mattresses treated with the chemical. It also has been found in lakes and rivers used for drinking water throughout the country. Recent studies have found the flame retardant in human fat tissue.
Q. Are there any laws regulating the use of this chemical?
A. No. However, California requires that all residential, upholstered furniture meet certain flammability standards, which typically means that furniture-makers must add chemicals to their foam or furniture. Because foam-makers across the country may sell to California, they tend to follow the California law, which is the strictest.
Q. How can I find out if the foam in my couch, chair or baby carrier contains chlorinated Tris?
A. You can have the item tested, but it is costly and time-consuming. You might be able to verify that this particular chemical is in your foam is by sending a sample to a testing facility that uses mass spectrometry technology.
The Journal Sentinel first attempted to find a company to rent equipment that identifies chlorinated Tris in foam, but was unable to after several weeks. The newspaper was also unable to identify a company that could conduct such tests for the chemical.
Sources: National Research Council, EPA’s Design for Environment Program’s Furniture Flame Retardancy Partnership, Polyurethane Foam Association