Everything You Need to Know About Flame Retardants!

What are flame retardants?

Flame retardants are chemicals which slow down the growth of the fire. In many cases, they also prevent them from occurring completely. They are usually either added into the product itself or applied to them during the final stages. Since the 1970s, an increasing number of products have begun using them to decrease the risk of a fire igniting in the event of an emergency.

In most cases, flame retardants are used in the following products:

Furnishings: this includes foam, mattresses, upholstery, curtains, carpets, and blinds made of fabric.

Electronics: this includes all electrical devices, from pcs, laptops, TVs, cell phones, household appliances, as well as solely wires and cables.

Construction and building materials: this includes electrical wires and cables, as well as insulation. All insulation materials are meant here, including polyurethane and polystyrene insulation foams.

Transportation products: this includes seat covers, seat fillings and the seats themselves, overhead compartments, bumpers, many different cars, airplane and train parts as well.

However, many types of flame retardants have recently been put on a blacklist. This is because they only break down very slowly. In turn, this has a huge negative environmental impact. In addition, they have also been known to accumulate within humans and animals over time. In many cases, this has resulted in medical issues.

How are people exposed to flame retardant chemicals?

Are you someone who has to work with flame-retardant clothing on a daily basis? If not, you may think that you are unexposed to them. However, this assumption is unfortunately not as true as you may think. People are exposed to flame retardants in numerous ways. You may have been exposed to them while you were sitting in your car, on an airplane or at your workplace. In fact, you may have even been exposed to flame retardants through your diet. This is because many consumer products are required by law to add flame retardant material for your own safety.

The issue is that flame retardants may get into water, air, and soil during the manufacturing process. In addition, some products may contain flame retardants in their liquid form. These can eventually leak into dust and ultimately the air. The dust may then get on your hands and food while you are eating. Especially if you live in countries where garbage is being burnt in an uncontrolled manner, this may be an issue. We would always recommend washing your hands before every meal!

What are the potential health hazards of flame retardant chemicals?

As many benefits as flame retardants may offer, many downsides have also been associated with them. In increasing amount of evidence which has been gathered over the years has proven so. In fact, they have been put in connection with severe health effects in both animals and humans. Let us look at the most common health effects, shall we?

First of all, endocrine and thyroid disruption has been linked to the exposure of flame retardants. In addition, there has also been impeccable evidence that flame retardants impact your immune system. This means that one will be generally more vulnerable to external threats. Furthermore, reproductive toxicity is also one of the latest topics associated with flame retardants. In fact, they have also been linked to adverse effects on child and even fetal development. And the most compelling evidence shows that flame retardants will over time have a negative effect on one’s neurologic function.

Of course, not all flame retardants are as dangerous as the other. This is why many have been banned in the recent years.

Who are the most vulnerable to flame retardants?

All living beings are essentially vulnerable to flame retardants. However, there is a specific group which has shown to be more vulnerable than others. And those are children and infants.

There are several reasons for this.

First of all, children are particularly vulnerable due to the fact that their body is still developing. The toxic effect of the chemicals within flame retardants may affect the development of the brain, as well as other organs.

The second reason is connected to one mentioned earlier in the article. Above, we stated that exposed dust may reach your hands. In turn, you may end up consuming particles of flame retardants without evening knowing it. Children and infants, on the other hand, have much more contact between their hands and mouth. It is natural and normal for a child to do so.

In addition, babies also spend more time in bed than adults. If you have flame retardants fabrics, for example, in the crib, this may be a problem.

Finally, children and infants are simply more in contact with the floor and other potentially dusty areas than adults are.

Researchers have found that children have shown significantly higher concentrations of flame retardants in their bodies than adults.

Especially when it comes to our young ones, we highly advise you to really research a product before purchasing. Of course, having flame retardant materials around your child may make you feel safe. The point here is opting for the right one!

Are there different types of flame retardants?

This is a great question. In fact, there are hundreds of variations of flame retardants. There are many different categories of flame retardants. They are based on the different chemical structures, as well as properties. Generally speaking, there are 6 different categories. They are grouped based on whether they contain chlorine, bromine, nitrogen, phosphorus, boron or metals. However, it is important to note that every single one of the categories below has been linked to health hazards. This is why it is always very important to do your due diligence in terms of research. This way you will know beforehand what a product contains. Although you may not be able to fully remove flame retardants from your life, it is important to always limit the exposure to a minimum. This applies to all dangerous chemicals you may be exposed to in your daily life. Let’s have a look at each group in more detail!

PBDE’s (or polybrominated diphenyl ethers): they do not directly bind with the materials they are applied to. Usually, they are used for furniture and electronics. This is why they are easily released into the air, as well as dust. These are very dangerous as they can affect the birth length and weight of infants and children. In addition, they can also impact the development of the brain.

Flame retardants which are brominated: This type of flame retardants contain bromine. They are also the most used type in many consumer goods. This includes furniture, electronics, and building materials.

TBBPA (or tetrabromobisphenol A): are widely used within electronics. They are mainly known on circuit boards of computers and other electronics. In addition, you may also find them in paper and textiles. They are also used as an additive within other types of flame retardants.

HBCD (or hexabromcylododecane): is an additive. It is mainly used within polystyrene foam which is used a lot in building materials. The main danger here for people is that they easily get into the surrounding dust and air. In addition, low amounts of this have also been found within several food products.

OPFRs (or organophosphate flame retardants): these are slightly less dangerous than the PBDEs. This is why they have been used in many cases as a replacement for them. However, they still remain unhealthy to the human body. One should always be cautious.

Are there any negative effects on the environment?

Flame retardants have been linked to having a negative impact on the environment. This is especially the case for brominated flame retardants. The reason for this is because it is the largest market group across the globe. The issue is that there is a lack of knowledge concerning the effect they may have. In specific, the main issue here is the long time it takes for each of the flame retardants to degrade.

At this moment, the NIEHS and NTP are studying the different flame retardants in order to find a solution. This also applies to the implications they have for the health of humans. This is more so the case as explained above for infants and children.

The NIEHS is currently advancing in the field of research in order to get a better understanding. They do so by looking at how people dispose of products. In this case, they specifically look at those which contain flame retardants.

A great example is garbage sites where consumer products with flame retardants are disposed of. This includes dismantling, burning, and recycling. Those are the places where the environment and people are very much exposed to the dangers in higher concentrations. In addition, the local wildlife may also be affected.

Flame retardants and mattresses

We thought we would highlight an example of a product which is often required by law to use flame retardants. One such example is mattresses. This also applies to flame retardant fabric often used in mattress covers. The rules and regulations differ from country to country. We will just take the US as an example here.

Since 2007, it is mandatory for all mattresses to contain flame retardants. In fact, they have to be able to withstand an open flame from a blow torch for 70 seconds. The danger here is that over 92% of the market uses questionable flame retardants. In other words, those that may be a danger to you and the environment. Especially if you are sleeping on synthetic comfort materials, the chances of exposure are very high. One such example is memory foam as it is purely based on petrochemicals. In addition, they require many chemicals additives and fillers during their production.

If you are looking for a healthy alternative, we might have the answer for you. Remember that you spend about a third of your life on your mattress. This is why it is important to make sure that you sleep well. In order to do so, you must also have the right equipment. This is where Vita Talalay latex plays an essential role.

Vita Talalay latex mattresses are made of pure natural latex. This is important to understand as the majority of latex mattresses are not. Most of them are made of either fully synthetic or blended latex. That defeats the purpose of a healthy mattress as flame retards, fillers, and other chemicals are needed during the production. Vita Talalay latex, on the other hand, is the healthy choice. This has been proven by numerous credible institutions around the world. In fact, our latex mattresses are chemical free! In addition, our product is also safe for the environment. We have understood that all these factors play a role when we want to provide a healthy sleep experience.

Vita Talalay latex has flame retardant properties by nature. There is no need to add any chemicals or other hazardous compounds into the mix. For those countries which have stricter regulations, we have also invented a product which comes with a brand new fully natural flame retardant. This product does not use any chemicals and is not harmful to people nor the environment.

If you would like to read more about the benefits of Vita Talalay latex, simply click here!