from journal Environment International
Who of us would not want to make our home healthier? Where would you start? The journal Environment International published a study by the Silent Spring Institute which suggests starting with your couch. Couches have long been suspected of giving off toxic chemicals used as flame retardants. The old flame retardants can migrate out of the furniture as dust, increasing risk of cancer, lower IQ and other harmful effects, especially to babies and young children. Newer furniture has less toxic material. Researchers enrolled participants from thirty-three homes who were willing to swap out their couches. Dust samples collected over a period of months showed significantly slower toxicity.