Children's Health Defense By
By Julia Conley
The lead author of a new analysis of flame-retardant pollution said she was “blown away” by the number of chemicals that have seeped into the environment, contaminating more than 100 wildlife species across every continent on Earth — even as other studies have found that ubiquitous anti-flame products have been found to be ineffective in most applications.
“Flame retardants don’t actually make TV enclosures and car interiors more fire-safe, but they can harm people and animals,” said Lydia Jahl, a scientist at the Green Science Policy Institute (GSPI), which published the study on Oct. 18.
Jahl continued:
“Though these product flammability standards may seem protective at first glance, many cause widespread and lasting harm for no real benefit.”
A 1975 California regulation required furniture to withstand a small open flame for 12 seconds, leading manufacturers to widely use flame retardants…
