Is my furniture trying to kill me? This question has been lurking in the back of my mind ever since I met Arlene Blum of the Green Science Policy Institute several years ago, and it’s not a comfortable thing to think about each time I time I flop down on my sofa after a long day at work.
My science writer friend Erik Vance just published an article in Scientific American on the science behind toxic flame retardants used in furniture foam. The occasion for the piece is a current legislative proposal intended to reduce the amount of flame retardants in California furniture. (Don’t worry, supporters of the bill say the flame retardants weren’t doing that much to keep your house from burning down in the first place, and anyway, the toxic fumes from the flame retardants would kill you before the fire would).
Toxic exposure isn’t really something you can buy your way out of, but if you want to give it a shot, check out these furniture purchasing guidelines.
You might also enjoy reading about the wild life that Blum has led as a scientist and mountain climber, I know I did!
- Breaking Trail: A Climbing Life by Arlene Blum, 2005
- Annapurna: A Woman’s Place by Arlene Blum, 1998 (20th Anniversary Edition)
Tracy Perkins 
Related to this, I remember reading a NatGeo article several years back. http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/health-and-human-body/human-body/chemicals-within-us.html
It’s sort of appalling that we have the scientific know-how to assay our bodies for a whole suite of substances, while the manufacturing community maintains the simplistic claim that there are no viable alternatives.
I’ll check out article, thanks for sharing.
In this one, I thought it was interesting that the furniture manufacturers were either staying out of it or supporting the bill…
I have never thought carefully about this particular issue because I know one way or another, the toxins inside our furniture could not possibly be so high in content, else all the furniture retailers would be the ones to fall ill first. The issue that I am more concerned about is the polish or furniture cleaning solutions that we use to clean our furniture like storage cabinets interiors, tables and others. They are high in toxins too and we should be careful.