SACRAMENTO – In an effort to protect public safety by reducing the use of
toxic flame retardants, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today directed
state agencies to revise flammability standards for upholstered
furniture sold in the state.
Governor Brown has asked the Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair,
Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation to review the state’s
four-decade-old flammability standards and recommend changes to reduce
toxic flame retardants while continuing to ensure fire safety.
“Toxic flame retardants are found in everything from high chairs to
couches and a growing body of evidence suggests that these chemicals
harm human health and the environment,” said Governor Brown. “We must
find better ways to meet fire safety standards by reducing and
eliminating—wherever possible—dangerous chemicals.”
Studies show that humans are at risk from exposure to toxic chemicals
used as flame retardants in upholstered furniture. A 2008 study by the
Environmental Working Group found that toddlers often have three times
the level of flame retardant chemicals in their bodies as their parents,
and California children have some of the highest levels of toxic flame
retardants in their bodies.
A peer-reviewed study by scientists at Cal/EPA found that California
women have much higher levels of toxic flame retardants in their breast
tissue than women in other states and countries. Researchers from the
University of California, Berkeley found statistically significant
associations between flame retardant levels in the blood of California
women and reduced fertility. The researchers believe this link may
result from alterations in thyroid hormone levels after exposure to the
chemicals.
Numerous studies demonstrate that firefighters have significantly
elevated rates of cancer, including non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and brain
cancer. A study published in the Journal of Occupational and
Environmental Medicine concluded that firefighters have a significantly
elevated risk of cancer that may be attributed to toxic chemicals they
inhale, including flame retardants.
The guidelines in place now—Technical Bulletin 117 for flammability
standards—will be updated to reflect modern manufacturing methods that
can lower the use of harmful chemicals.
The process to change these regulations will include workshops and the
opportunity for public comment as well as administrative review.
