Watch EWG staffers discuss the findings on The Today Show 9.4.08: http://www.ewg.org/node/27077

What about using plants (cited in the Raising Baby Green book) to remove VOCs out of the air? Would that help mitigate some of the risk?

Do memoryfoam mattresses like the Sealy Tempurpedic mattresses have PBDEs? I sleep on this type of mattress every night. Is there a way for us to test PBDEs in our home?

do these chemicals lose potency over time or do they maintain their toxic level over the years?

Is handwashing with soap required to remove Deca and stop the transfer to mouths? Or do hand sanitizer products work as well?

So many of us moms are using that handy hand santizer in our purses and diaper bags. Is it protecting us? Or should we use soap (also given the potential toxins in many of the soaps, esp. those available at retail/commercial restrooms)?

Thanks,
Sheli Hayes

I live in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. How can I find out about the regulations on these 3 types of PBDEs here. I have 2 small children and one on the way. How do I find out how safe my furniture and toys are from these toxins? It boggles my mind how all these hazardous chemicals are found in practically everything we buy. It's sad and makes you feel like no matter how hard you try to keep your children safe and healthy, it's almost impossible to do so. It's wrong. I can only hope more and more is done for future generations.

Isn't the flannel used to make little kids' pajamas treated with some kind of flame retardant? When I go to the fabric store, many flannels are labeled as unsuitable for children as they are not flame retardant...

Can you comment on the transfer of maternal PBDE's to babies via breastfeeding? Does breastmilk contain PBDE's? Since other contaminants such as PCB's are readily transferred via breastfeeding, I guess that PBDE's are too. If so, what is the risk/benefit analsis of breastfeeding and toxics transfer?

Sleep-ware for children has flame retardants (this is mandated by law)- do these contain DECA? Do you consider them safe?

It's a crime that it made it into kids' clothing in the first place!

Alexa Fleckenstein M.D., physician, author.

A potentially bigger concern is that flame retardants have migrated from your home to the environment. These chemicals become part of your household dust, possibly as the foam in your mattress, couch etc. degrades and falls onto your floors. This contaminated dust then travels or is carried outside and is ingested by livestock.

Flame retardants have been found in significant levels in dairy products. The higher the fat content, such as ice cream and cheddar cheese, the more flame retardants. Guess why I buy low-fat ice cream and European cheese (Europe has banned flame retardants). And yes, it has been found in breastmilk. Check out toxicnation.ca for more tips on reducing your exposure at home.

Sue in Juneau, You'll find info on breastfeeding in the toxics context in this report. In short, we know they are in breast milk and therefore transferred from mother to baby. However, we don't recommend that moms not breastfeed because of this; the benefits are still vital. Read more here in our piece "breast milk is still best": http://www.ewg.org/node/20111

Also, we did a breastmilk report in 2003 that you can read here: http://www.ewg.org/reports/mothersmilk

Hope that helps. Lisa

I am an avid sewer and I would recommend completely avoiding ANY fabrics that say "Flame-retardant" or "non-flammable" on their label. When you go to the fabric store, check the end of the bolt (the cardboard ) for this info. As to children's clothing, you can find sleepwear that is tight-fitting cotton and not flannel. they legally have to market it as "not intended for sleepwear" but use it anyway. Stay away from the flannel stuff.

Sheli: We recently released a report on Triclosan, the anti-bacterial ingredient found in many hand sanitizers (among other common HH products) that you might take a look at: http://www.ewg.org/node/26752.

In short, we recommend that people don't use it (as does the AMA). Soap works just as well w/o the downsides. Also, no-one has studied whether hand sanitizers remove PBDEs. It seems unlikely since they are designed to kill bacteria-and are not washed off.

And yes, washing hands can reduce the transfer of PBDEs (and other chemicals) from hands to mouth, but I recommend reading our additional suggestions for reducing exposure in the "What you Can Do" section of our report: http://www.ewg.org/node/26905. Hope that helps!

Tanay, Great question. PBDEs maintain their toxic level over time. There is also concern that Deca actually becomes more hazardous because it breaks down into more persistent and toxic forms.

Bobby, Any mattresses made before 2006 could have PBDEs in them. Mattresses made after about 2006 are likely PBDE free. There is information in the "What you can do" section of our report that discusses foam: http://www.ewg.org/node/26905.

Susan and Amy L, it is a common misunderstanding that the flame retardants on/in pajamas are the same as these, but in fact the fire retardants in pajama fabric are not PBDEs, so Deca (a type of PBDE) is not a concern for pajamas. For a thorough history and assessment of pajama fire retardants, see The Green Guide's write-up: http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/ask/pajamas2

Ania, Thanks for asking about Canada. We agree - it boggles our minds, too! In a nutshell, Canada is similar to the US in terms of use and regulation of PBDEs. Canadian lawmakers recently voted to end deca manufacture in Canada, a hollow gesture since the chemical is not made within the country, rather imported inside electronic goods. For more information about Canada see this Environment Canada info on PBDEs: http://www.ec.gc.ca/CEPARegistry/documents/subs_list/PBDE_draft/PBDEfaq.cfm.

My son had one of those Cranium forts and I noticed on a label of the fabric sheets or one of the foam poles said that it was flame retardant. I emailed Hasbro and as I thought they have government specs to follow flame retarding items. They replaced the toy.

I worked in Processing at Great Lakes Chemical. I would add PBDEs into foams, Plastics and test for fire retardant characteristics. I have no college degree, but the job before that was OSHA/EPA coordinator for Rubbermaid Inc, Reynolds IN. While working at Great Lakes Chemical, I started having events( I dont know what else to call them). These events would be like times my mind would slip, like your being drunk, for a few seconds to a few min. I was working with Toluene Diisocyanite making sofa foam type material, when I had a bad exposure to TDI. I was taken to the emergency room, and was released that day. I had been working with PBDEs while working with TDI. I was at all kinds of different doctors after that. I have been on medication for over 12 years because of that. Even before the TDI exposure I was having EVENTS, but I thought as others, TDI is a very toxic chemical, it was TDI that caused the problem. Let me explain what I call a Event, My mind slips, I know I can remember stuff, but right then I cant. Doctors latter treated me for panic disorders. I knew even then, I was NOT having a panic attack, or if I WAS, it was because of these events. Istarted a carpet buisness after Great Lakes Chemical, My kid that was concived durring my employment with Great Lakes Chemical. He was born Premature, but doesnt seem to have any effects(mental). I lost my wife, ( I belive cause of my mental condition) I lost my buisness cause of my mental compasity. I cant even remember how to do stuff, I used to do on my book keeping. Like, ok, I write checks for two years to my employee, I have to look up there last name!!!!, MY short term memory is GONE. Its getting worse!! I know I used to remember stuff, I cant.I remember all kinds of stuff before Great Lakes, but after the EVENTS, downhill from there. If it wasnt for my X-wife now, the employees I had, Iwouldnt of been able to keep my buisness as long as I did. So, we now know what I told doctors years ago, Im getting dumber each day, there fault. So, Im screwed.

I would think your best bet is just not to use harsh chemicals on anything around children.