FOOD INTOLERANCE NETWORK FACTSHEET
Toxic furniture – the
effects of flame retardants and other chemicals
This factsheet covers:
* The
products - new computer, mattress, lounge suite, and sound speakers
* The
symptoms – sore throat, depression, headaches, sensitivity to smells, foggy
brain, fatigue and asthma
* Flame
retardants – the evidence
* What you
can do
The products
Flame retardants
are used increasingly in electrical goods, foam and soft furnishings. They can
cause a range of reactions. Other chemicals such as plasticizers may also be a
cause of reactions.
New computer
When my
husband bought me a new computer, I developed a sore throat, headache, severe
foggy brain, fatigue and inability to concentrate within hours of using it, and
an increased sensitivity to perfumes after a few days. When he tried to use it
the same thing happened to him. The retailers refused to take us seriously.
After 18 months of running it in the garage waiting for it to gas off (it
gassed off slightly), we took the hardly-used computer to an internet café and
sold it for $500, a loss of $1500.
Flame retardants in computers – the
research
Research
from
Triphenyl
phosphate is a chemical compound widely used as a flame retardant in the
plastic of video monitors and other products. Computer monitors emit the
compound when their temperature rises during normal operations, said Conny
Ostman, lead author of the study, from
"We
have focused our interest on this compound since it has been proven to be a
contact allergen to man and due to the fact that a number of workers in Sweden
have acquired health problems related to computer work," Ostman said. The
researchers measured the level of the compound in the "breathing
zone," located about two feet in front of the video screen. The emissions
levels dropped sharply after eight days of continuous operation, the
researchers found, but remained 10 times higher than the background level even
after 183 days - roughly the equivalent of about two years of working use.
Computers are
a significant source of allergenic emissions in small indoor environments like
offices, Ostman said. Even with adequate ventilation, the compound may be a
potential health hazard for computer users, he warned. The researchers found
appreciable concentrations of the compound in 10 of the 18 brand new video
monitors they tested, but declined to name their manufacturer, saying that
almost all manufacturers use the same flame retardant compound, and that the
presence and levels of triphenyl phosphate in monitors varied with the place
where they were manufactured.
The U.S.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration sets a safety limit of three
milligrams per cubic meter of air for triphenyl phosphate, noting that it can
cause changes in blood enzymes in humans. The chemical is also classified as
causing "occupational allergic contact dermatitis." A concentration
of 1,000 milligrams per cubic meter of air is listed as "immediately
dangerous to life or health" by the National Institute of Occupational
Safety and Health. The hotter the computer monitors get, the more triphenyl
phosphate is emitted by their plastic covers
Besides its
use in plastic products, triphenyl phosphate is also an ingredient in some
pesticides.
- from Chemical in Computer Monitors Triggers
Allergies, Illness by Cat Lazaroff, Washington, DC, September 19, 2000,
Environment News Service www.ens-newswire.com
What you can do
* Buy a
flat screen.
* Buy a
display computer that has already been running in the shop.
* Buy a
low-emission computer (Dell offers one).
* Ask sales
staff to carry all products you intend to purchase outside into the carpark so
you can smell the items away from all the other smells of the shop. Once you
have purchased a computer, you will not be able to return it.
* Allow the
product to gas off in garage or well ventilated area such as a verandah (or
tent). For some products a few weeks or months of gassing off will be enough.
New speakers for CD player
“After
several months, my husband simply had to return the speakers he'd bought for
the CD player as after several months they smelled as bad as ever and we
couldn't have them anywhere we were spending time. He swapped to a different brand and also
insisted on taking their shop display model.
We had no problem after that” – reader, NZ
And another computer story – mould
odor
I am
inquiring whether there are similar experiences out there with a source of a
mold odor in an office. For the past
several weeks, we had a moldy "old book" type odor in our office and
the cause has been identified as a Dell Model M992, 19 inch computer monitor
that was made in
Numerous
complaints about odors in the south side of the 3rd floor began on Wednesday,
April 23. Most people described the
odor as moldy or musty, smells like old musty books. Several people said they had headaches and
eye irritation associated with the odors.
We initially thought it might be associated with the ventilation system
since HVAC preventative maintenance occurred at about the same day and
time. The odor was temporal in nature,
it began about 8:30 AM, was strongest around 10 AM to 11:00 AM and went away about 5:00 PM. We tried using smoke tubes to look at airflow
patterns and using a moisture meter to check for damp materials, but nothing
obvious was found. Although the odor
pattern was different than the HVAC operation times, we tried various things
like shutting off the supply duct in the local area, and even had the entire
HVAC system shut down over a weekend until 10:00 Am on Monday morning. There were no odors over the weekend and once
again the odor returned about 8:30 AM on Monday morning without the HVAC
on. So we figured there was a local
source with a pattern that was similar to someone's 8 to 4:30 work
schedule. But during this 3 week period,
we emptied and moved file cabinets, smelled rugs, plants, books and anything else
that might be associated with a moldy book type odor. Finally, a couple of the scientists here put
it together. Someone in the immediate area of the odor got a new computer on
April 23 and the temporal pattern of the odor fit their work hours. After the monitor was moved to a distant
office, the smell went away and that new office had a strong moldy odor.
If I had to make a list of things that might
cause this odor, a new computer monitor would be on the bottom of my list. Go figure! Anyone else with similar
experiences, I would like to hear about them. Thanks.
- Gerald
McDonald, Indoor Health Assessment Section, Bureau of Toxic Substance
Assessment, New York State Department of Health gjm04@health.state.ny.us
Flame retardants and other chemicals in foam:
mattresses and lounge suites
New mattress (1)
I normally
have an optimistic person outlook and do not experience depression. After three
days of living with a new mattress, I had to move it outside because the effect
was so marked – depression within six hours of exposure. The suppliers agreed
the mattress had a strong, unpleasant chemical smell and exchanged it for
another non-smelly model that was perfectly satisfactory.
New mattress (2)
A nine year
old boy from the NT suffered from snoring and sleep apnoea. The elimination
diet revealed that a few food additives were responsible – sunset yellow (110),
the bread preservative (282) and MSG (621). When he later developed the problem
while avoiding his food triggers, a new mattress turned out to be the cause.
New Lounge suite
When we
bought a new lounge suite - carefully ordered with 100% cotton covering, no
chemicals - the effects started within 6 hours of delivery. The range of
effects in household members, visiting relatives and neighbours included
depression, headaches and eye irritation. Initially, the retailers refused to
listen to us. After moving the lounge suite into our garage – which was
connected to the house - we had to tape up the cracks around the doors to
prevent the fumes from entering the rest of the house. The new lounge suite
ended up in a tent on our lawn for months until the retailers agreed to give us
our money back.
Flame retardant TCPP – the evidence
Although
the manufacturer of the lounge suite did not want to tell us, we discovered
that the flame retardant used in the foam of the lounge suite was TCPP. We
thought that the levels used exceeded recommended safe levels, but it would
have cost us $2,500 to have it tested, more than the price of the lounge suite.
When the international programme on chemical safety reviewed assessments of
TCPP
Mattresses: what you can do
Buy a
cotton futon.
Lounge suites: what you can do
Buy a
second hand lounge suite or have your old lounge suite rebuilt if necessary
using nontoxic wood glues, no solvents, restuffed if necessary using Dacron
filling rather than foam, and re-upholstered using 100% cotton fabric, no stain
repellents or other chemicals. Instead of flame retardants in your furniture,
install a fire alarm.
See also the factsheets on
* Fumes and
Perfumes
* Added
flavours – natural or artificial, what’s the difference?
* Inhaled
salicylates
www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info
The information given is not intended as
medical advice. Always consult with your doctor for underlying illness. Before
beginning dietary investigation, consult a dietician with an interest in food
intolerance. You can find a supportive dietitian through the Dietitians
Association of
© Sue Dengate update March 2005
