Serving Size: 4.82 MB Servings Per Container: 1 In Your Body On Your Body For Your Home For Your Family Seeking Medical Treatment How to Detoxify Your Body Guide to Symptoms A Healthy House Values, Vision & Mission Background & History Staff & Advisors News & Upcoming Events Join Our Mailing List Contact Us Recommended Resources Index of Terms Works Cited This product contains 100% natural ingredients. Easy Pay Pal Donations TNTP Grade A Brain-food More Special Features Home Decor  |  Home Furnishings  |  Household Cleaners  |  Kitchenware  |  Lawn & Garden  |  Plastic Page: 1 This category includes all of the items you purchase to furnish your home. For a list of suggested businesses to purchase more natural products from, visit our Recommended Resources page. Mattresses CHEMICALS CONTAINED: Polyurethane—isocyanates and diisocyanates (collectively, NCO). Pesticides. PBDEs (Flame retardents). One study identified VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) emitted by conventional children’s mattresses to include solvents and other chemicals involved in manufacturing—styrene, isopropylbenzene, limonene, trimethylbenzene, nitrobenzene, ethylbenzene, dichlorobenzene. HEALTH CONCERNS: Conventional mattresses are made from a combination of foam padding, cotton, and metal springs and supports. Chemicals in the foam padding, coverings, and cotton can outgas and cause health concerns. Mattresses are also treated with chemical fire retardants. Emissions from conventional mattresses have been observed to cause sensory and respiratory irritation, and neurological effects in laboratory animals. Recent research suggests that NCO chemicals in consumer products such as mattress foam may cause or contribute to substantial health effects including onset/triggering of asthma, decreased lung function and respiratory problems, elevated immune response, sensory irritation, and dermatitis. TIPS & ALTERNATIVES: Look for mattresses or futons made from unbleached organic cotton and wool and natural rubber foam padding. Wool has natural fire retardant properties. If you choose a conventional mattress, let it air out outdoors before using. Upholstered Furniture CHEMICALS CONTAINED: Formaldehyde resin for wrinkle resistance. Pesticides. Fire retardants such as PBDEs (chemically similar to polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, which were banned in the 1970’s because of their wide distribution in the environment and health effects). Chemicals called isocyanates and diisocyanates (collectively, NCO) that are used to make polyurethane foam. HEALTH CONCERNS: Synthetic fibers and polyurethane foam can wear away over time, releasing particles into the air and house dust where they can be inhaled. The health effects of PBDEs are still being studied, and there is still not enough toxicology data to show how the chemicals affect human health (and the environment and wildlife). Some studies have indicated endocrine disruption effects, thyroid disruption, and effects on neurological development and function in laboratory animals. PBDEs are accumulating in human bodies worldwide—in fat tissue, blood, breast milk, and even human umbilical cord blood. Some sources suggest NCO chemicals can irritate the eyes, ears, nose, throat, and mucous membranes, and skin, as well as cause more serious effects such as onset/triggering of asthma, elevated immune response, and dermatitis. Others maintain that once it’s cured, polyurethane is relatively inert and consumer products don’t emit appreciable amounts of NCO chemicals. The International Agency on Research on Cancer classifies toluene diisocyanate (TDI), one of the NCO chemicals, as a possible human carcinogen. TIPS & ALTERNATIVES: Look for upholstery made from natural fibers such as linen, wool, hemp, and cotton. Labels on textiles don’t have to indicate that the fabrics have been treated with formaldehyde resins and other chemicals, so ask retailers and manufacturers for information on what their products are treated with. Choose cushions made from natural, untreated fibers such as cotton and wool (be careful of a few things about cotton and wool—look for organic, unbleached cotton and untreated wool). Both wool and cotton fibers burn more slowly than synthetic fibers. Wool especially makes a great filling for cushions and pillows—it has good loft, wears well, and is naturally fire retardant. Natural latex is another good choice. Wooden Furniture CHEMICALS CONTAINED: Furniture and cabinets are often made from pressed wood products such as plywood, particleboard, and medium density fiberboard (mdf), which can also release toxic chemicals into the air. The finishes used on wooden furniture, from paints to sealers, can also release toxins. Urea-formaldehyde resin is often used to make pressed wood products, and has been shown in scientific studies to release formaldehyde. A different type of resin, phenol formaldehyde, is sometimes used and releases less formaldehyde. HEALTH CONCERNS: Formaldehyde can cause irritation of the upper and lower respiratory tract, the mucous membranes, eyes, ears, and nose, even at very low levels (.05 ppm). Effects can include headache, nausea, sore throat, chest pain, and skin irritation. Higher levels of exposure can cause much more severe problems, including decreased lung capacity and disruptions in lung function, chest pain, neurotoxicity, kidney and liver damage, coma, and death. Some evidence exists that formaldehyde can cause birth defects and genetic effects. Formaledehyde is also suspected to cause cancer, classified by the EPA as a “Group A” probable human carcinogen. Studies have shown that formaldehyde can cause cancer in laboratory animals. TIPS & ALTERNATIVES: Furnishings made from solid wood or metal, finished with a non-toxic paint or sealer, are the least-toxic choices. Solid, untreated hardwood furniture can also release strong chemical vapors which can cause irritation, a natural by-product of chemicals in the wood (think of the strong smell of pine—it can be irritating to some), but these are usually much less toxic to humans than many other toxins contained in furnishings. Nontoxic furniture (including upholstered chairs and sofas, etc.) made with natural and often organic fibers and materials, and not treated with toxic chemicals are also available, though often expensive. Buying older, used furniture that has already “off-gassed” can also be a good choice. Wood products that release the most formaldehyde are made from uncoated pressed wood products made with urea-formaldeyde (UF) resins. When UF wood products are coated with some kind of finish, they release less formaldehyde, but many finishes and coatings contain toxins themselves (see finishes and sealers in home décor). Page: 1