> Waterbed mattresses tend to contain high amounts of Phthalates (esp
> DEHP). It is an additive that makes plastics (mostly PVC) softer and
> more flexible.
>From http://www.ewg.org/node/17286
Study says household dust holds dangerous chemicals
Homes in 7 states tested for residues of consumer goods
Common household dust contains a variety of hazardous chemicals
originating from everyday consumer products, including Teflon and
other nonstick cookware and fabrics coated with water-resistant Gore-
Tex, according to a study released Tuesday.
The study, one of the first of its kind, showed that hidden away in
dust balls in vacuum cleaner bags were 35 toxic industrial chemicals
that are legal in products but have been shown to cause reproductive,
respiratory and other health problems in humans or test animals.
The study by a consumer research group was the first to look for --
and find -- the so-called perfluorinated compounds used in hundreds of
ordinary products. The dust came from 70 houses in seven states,
including some in the Bay Area.
"This is a snapshot of hazardous chemicals in households. If we chose
to look for more chemicals, I'm sure we'd have found them," said
Beverley Thorpe, the group's director.
Far and away in the greatest amount were the little-known phthalates,
ubiquitous plasticizers used to soften everything vinyl, including
flooring, raincoats, shoes and purses, tablecloths, shower curtains,
upholstery, carpet backing, garden hoses and PVC water pipes.
The study was conducted by Clean Production Action, a Montreal-based
international nonprofit project of the Tides Center in San Francisco.
The dust samples were analyzed by a Texas laboratory that for the past
15 years has been the prime investigator of chemicals in dust,
including for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and private
research groups.
The study measured the quantities in the dust and didn't attempt to
determine exposure levels or possible health effects on people living
in the houses. New evidence of chemicals in breast milk, human blood
and wildlife spurred the group to conduct the survey, Thorpe said.
"The real question we should be asking our government is, why should
we take chances on chemicals we know are inherently hazardous when
safe chemicals exist, and progressive companies are putting in place
safe chemical policies?" she said.
The group is calling for the federal Toxics Substances Control Act to
be revamped to require safety testing of the thousands of chemicals in
commerce in order to remain on the market. The group considers
European initiatives as models for regulating the chemicals.
Representatives of the vinyl industry, which uses phthalates and
organotins, said the study contained nothing new that hadn't already
been re****ted in the last five years.
"These levels do not suggest a health threat. The fact that you
measure something in dust doesn't mean it's going to cause a health
threat," said Allen Blakey, spokesman for the Vinyl Institute, a trade
group in Arlington, Va.
"Vinyl building products have been used safely and effectively for 50
years, and consumers can continue to rely on these products."
Robert Buck, a chemist at Dupont, which uses PFOA, or
perfluorooctanoic acid, to make Teflon cookware, said the company has
conducted a rigorous scientific study. "We know that our cookware will
not result in an exposure to PFOA for consumers," Buck said. Other
Dupont Teflon products such as carpeting don't use PFOA, he said.
The study looked for 44 different chemicals in six cl***** of
chemicals that are common in consumer products, yet have been
associated with reproductive and immune system problems, asthma and
other ill health effects in animal or human studies.
They are phthalates, alkylphenols, pesticides, brominated flame
retardants, organotins and perfluorinated surfactants.
The 70 participants nationwide, including in San Francisco, San
Anselmo, Berkeley, Oakland, El Cerrito and San Jose, generally worked
in environmental fields.
In Berkeley, Helen Kang, an associate professor at Golden Gate
University School of Law, vacuumed over a week, sent off her sample to
the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio and was surprised at
the results.
"I'm sure each of us had the sense that our numbers would have been
lower," said Kang, a mother of two. "We're sensitive to environmental
risks because of the work that we do." She said she and her husband
try to minimize toxic products around their house.
Jeanette Swafford, a San Anselmo mother of a 21-month-old, said she
and her husband were taken aback by the results.
"We try to be really conscious in what we do, especially as new
parents trying to protect our little girl," said Swafford, who works
at Commonweal, a health and environmental research institute in
Bolinas.
"We feel as though an individual consumer doesn't have a chance," she
said.
California has already phased out two forms of the brominated flame
retardants. A bill in the Legislature would ban in cosmetics two forms
of phthalates; another would ban phthalates and bisphenol A in baby
bottles and children's toys; and a third would require cosmetics
companies to re****t the use of certain dangerous chemicals to the
state Department of Health Services.
Dangers in dust
A new re****t, "Sick of Dust," found six cl***** of chemicals in
household dust:
-- Phthalates topped the list with three different forms -- DEHP, BBP
and DPB -- all used in vinyl and other products. The chemical has been
shown in lab studies to disrupt reproductive systems, particularly in
male offspring. It also can contribute to respiratory problems in
children.
-- Alkylphenols are used in the manufacture of all-purpose cleaners,
textiles and paints. Alkylphenols mimic natural estrogen hormones,
leading to altered ***ual development in some organisms.
-- Pesticides were found in the samples, with the insecticide
permethrin leading the list followed by pentachlorophenol. The
chemicals can have adverse effects on the hormone system and cause
cancer.
-- Brominated flame retardants, which are found in polyurethane foams,
polystyrene, electronics and textiles. They ac***ulate in the body and
mimic thyroid hormones.
-- Organotins are additives in vinyl and used in fungicides and anti-
fouling agents for wood surfaces and in cooling towers. They are
poisonous in small amounts and can disrupt hormone and reproductive
systems.
-- Perfluorinated surfactants -- two of them PFOS and PFOA -- are in
floor polishes, film and denture cleaners. PFOA is used to make Teflon
cookware. The surfactants are also in Gore-Tex. They are potentially
carcinogenic and damage organ function and ***ual development in lab
animals.
Source: "Sick of Dust: Chemicals in Common Products -- A Needless
Threat in Our Homes," at www.safer-products.org
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