Brain-Harming Chemicals Released from Mattresses While Children Sleep, Study

'Brain-harming chemicals released from mattresses while children sleep,' study says, CNN, April 15, 2025. 🧸
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Babies and children's mattresses and bedding emit toxic chemicals and flame retardants associated with developmental and hormonal disorders, according to two new studies. “We measured chemicals in the air of 25 children’s bedrooms between the ages of 6 months and 4 years and found worrisome levels of more than two dozen phthalates, flame retardants and UV filters,” said senior study author Miriam Diamond, a professor in the Earth Sciences Department at the University of Toronto.

The highest level of chemicals were found near the children’s beds, according to the study published Tuesday in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. To check why, a companion study by Diamond’s team tested 16 new children’s mattresses and found those to be a key source of the exposure. Then, using a simulation, the team found that the warmth and weight of the sleeping child could increase the off-gassing of the toxicants.

“They found that even something as simple as a child’s body heat and weight on a mattress can increase the release of toxic chemicals into the air they breathe while sleeping – a factor that current safety standards don’t consider,” said Jane Houlihan, research director for Healthy Babies, Bright Futures, an alliance of nonprofits, scientists and donors dedicated to reducing babies’ exposures to neurotoxic chemicals. She was not involved in the new research.

The study did not include brand names, but the researchers told CNN that they were well-known, lower-cost mattresses found at leading retail stores. Tested mattresses were purchased in Canada, but they contained materials from the United States and Mexico. Therefore, the results are likely to apply to mattresses purchased throughout North America, Diamond said. “The results show that parents can’t shop their way out of the problem,” Houlihan said in an email. “The mattresses tested emitted toxic chemicals regardless of their price, materials, or country of origin. And some contained additives above legal limits.”... - Read More,

https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/15/health/child-mattress-bedding-toxins-wellness
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- Film Explores Danger Of Chemical Flame Retardants, WBUR, 2013. (James Redford).

California recently overturned a 38-year-old rule that approved the use of chemical flame retardants in furniture containing foam. The rule has set the standard for furniture manufacturers nationwide. These chemicals have been linked to cancer, developmental problems, reduced IQ and impaired fertility. The new rule does not ban the use of such chemicals, but gives manufacturers the choice to omit them...
https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2013/11/25/chemical-flame-retardants