It might be surprising to hear that the materials that we think make our homes, offices, and other interior spaces seem safer and more comfortable can have a negative effect on our health. Thinking of our couches containing flame retardants might give us comfort, feeling that we are somehow protected in case of fire. A stain repellent in our carpet promises to prolong the life of our purchase. These features seem to offer an added benefit, when in fact, the chemicals that are added to these products to make them flame retardant or stain resistant are often toxicants which have a broad negative impact on human health and the environment.
However, it is not all bad news! There are things we can do to reduce and eliminate the quantity of these toxicants in the built environment. The key is to ask the right questions. As architects and designers, it is up to us to consider the implications of the materials we specify. To better understand what we are sometimes unknowingly designing into our projects we must ask questions of product manufactures. We seek material transparency and a disclosed list of ingredients in the products that we specify, so we can assess the suitability of a product for our client’s buildings and ensure that we are, where possible, avoiding added harmful chemicals.
Flame Retardants
Flame retardants are chemicals that are added or applied to materials in order to slow or prevent the start or growth of fire. A growing body of evidence shows that many of these chemicals are associated with endocrine and thyroid disruption, impacts to the immune system, reproductive toxicity, cancer, and adverse effects on fetal and child development and neurologic function. Through body burden* studies, flame retardants have been detected in the bodies of nearly all people tested. Flame retardants are found in building and construction materials, furnishings, carpet backings, fabric blinds, textiles, paints and coatings, electrical cabling. They can also be found in children’s products (like car seats and mattresses), transportation interiors (airline and automobiles), television cases etc.
The environmental impact of flame retardants is deeply concerning. These chemicals can leach into soil, rivers, and oceans where they are persistent pollutants and can bioaccumulate up food chains. These chemicals are found at particularly high levels in marine mammals and are associated with adverse health effects in these and other species. PBDE’s (a flame retardant chemical compound) are toxic and accumulative and have been found in Orca whales. As the ocean’s top predator, Orca’s ingest the pollutants their prey has consumed along the food chain. They are also lipophilic or “fat-loving” so the toxins accumulate in blubber and fat-rich breast milk.
In recent years, studies show there is little safety benefit to the adding flame retardants to materials and products. Research shows they often delay ignition by only a few seconds and can make a fire more toxic when compared to a similar fire whose fuel is free from flame retardants. Guarding against fire with smoke detectors, sprinkler systems, etc. is a more effective and healthier way to prevent or address fires.
It’s important to note that building codes often require materials to be treated with flame retardants as there are cases where these are indeed necessary (timber construction for example). In these cases, manufacturers should develop more benign alternatives through materials innovation and green chemistry.
So, how can you avoid flame retardants?
Look for TB117-2013 label in upholstered furniture stating that the item does not contain flame retardants.
Avoid using rebonded carpet padding made from recycled or scrap polyurethane foam.
Tell manufacturers, retailers and government agencies that you want products without flame retardants.
Vacuum with a HEPA filter, wet mop, dust with a damp cloth to reduce indoor dust levels.
Stain Repellents
Perfluorochemicals (PFC’s) are a group of chemicals used to make fluoropolymer coatings and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease, and water; these are commonly known as stain repellents. Human health effects from exposure to low environmental levels of PFC’s are unknown. However, we do know that PFCs may affect growth and development, reproduction, and damage the liver. The most studied of these substances is a chemical called PFOA, which is linked to kidney and testicular cancer, elevated cholesterol, decreased fertility, thyroid problems and decreased immune response to vaccines in children. Through body burden studies, PFCs were found in the bodies of 99% of Americans. Humans are exposed to PFC’s through contaminated food, drinking water, air and dust. PFC’s are used in carpets, furnishings, paints, papers, protective coatings and sealants. They are also found in cleaners, clothing, cookware, cosmetics, food packaging, outdoor apparel, and firefighting foams.
Many chemicals in this group pose an additional threat because they do not break down in the environment but build up over time. PFC’s have been found in rivers and lakes and in many types of animals on land and in the water. Because of this extreme persistence, these chemicals are transported around the globe. The chemical structure of PFC’s make them nearly impossible for organic organisms to degrade. They travel long distances and pollute the most remote places; PFC’s have even been found in the bodies of polar bears in the Arctic. The pollutants are linked with reproductive and immune problems in bears, in addition to cancer. Bears accumulate high levels of the chemicals because they are top predators: the compounds build up through the food chain, in plants, fish and finally seals which are the bears’ main food source.
We know the risks to health and the environment are high, so we ask: Are these a necessary additive to our environment? The answer to this question is arguably: No, they are not necessary. But, there is a large convenience factor associated with the use of these chemicals, which has led to their prevalence.
To avoid PFC’s in your built environment:
Choose textiles and carpeting without water repellency and stain repellency.
Only purchase waterproof gear when you really need it.
Avoid food in contact with greaseproof packaging, such as microwave popcorn and some fast food.
Avoid personal care products with “perfluor-“, “polyfluor-“, and “ptfe” on the label.
Purchase cast iron, glass, or ceramic cookware rather than Teflon.
*A “body burden” is the term for the concentration (or amount) of chemical in the body at any given time.