Are fire retardants in clothing toxic to our children?

If you have children, you’ve probably purchased sleepware, a carseat, or an infant carrier for them.  But did you know that all of these items – and more – contain what scientists and lawmakers now consider a dangerous substance?  What these products have in common is that they’ve all been treated with a flame retardant.

It seemed like a good idea when it was first introduced – adding fire protection to items that could be involved in fire-related accidents.  For example, manufacturers believed that children in a car seat could be protected from severe burns if the seats they were in were treated with a fire retardant chemical.  So for decades now, Americans have counted on these chemicals to protect them from fire

However now officials are raising serious questions about the safety of all the products coated with these chemicals.  In fact, flame retardants have been banned already in two states have already banned them, and six other states are considering similar bans.

Scientists are claiming that the most commonly used brominated flame retardants, called PBDE's, have a toxic effect on developing brain and reproductive systems in children.  These chemicals are particularly dangerous because they don’t break down in the body; instead they persist in our fatty tissue and right now there is no known way to get rid of them.

The EPA has joined the fray and is finishing up an evaluation of the safety of flame retardants.  It looks like flame retardants are about to join the long list of dangerous chemicals that were once championed as safe by manufacturers, but later found to be toxic to human beings.