EPA Study: House Dust With Flame Retardant May Sicken Cats, Could Be an Issue for Kids

[environmentalist]

Source: Associated Press

By SETH BORENSTEIN
AP Science Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A new federal study suggests that household dust containing a common flame retardant may be linked to an increase in cats getting sick from overactive thyroids. That could be a warning sign for how young children could get exposed to the chemical, said Linda S. Birnbaum, director of experimental toxicology at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and co-author of the study.

The small study looks at chemical flame retardants called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which were used in foam, plastics, furniture, electronics, fabrics and carpet padding. The sole American manufacturer in 2004 agreed to phase out the types of PBDEs included in the study because of concern about toxicity in animals. But PBDEs remain in American homes.

(snip) ...because the cat study is so preliminary, Birnbaum said people shouldn't overreact and sell their furniture or rid themselves of carpets. However, she said she makes sure to wash her grandchildren's blankets more frequently and checks on flame retardant use when buying furniture.


Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/D/DUST_SICK_CATS?SITE=KFWB&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

---

Additional analysis of the EPA report at this link.


Posted by The Environmentalist

[Kolesar]

1. I recall that the European governments were well on their way to banning brominated flame retardants

from the article:

Another (study)found PBDE levels in Americans are three to 10 times higher than in Europeans. And small studies in California and Norway show that children, especially toddlers, have higher PBDE levels than adults.