FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Chemical Culprits Found in Common Household Products

Groups Call for State Ban on Toxic Flame Retardants

Press Release: Chemical Culprits Found in Common Household Products

When we purchase a product, whether it's a computer, a carpet or a shower curtain, we assume it is safe for ourselves and our families.  But a new report shows we're not as safe as we think we are. A national study released today found thirty-five hazardous industrial chemicals, including the controversial flame retardant deca-PBDE,  in household dust samples taken from seventy households in seven states, including ten homes in Washington.

The new report, Sick of Dust: Chemicals in Common Products -- A Needless Health Threat in Our Homes, documents the hazardous chemicals tested for in household dust, their health risks, and the products they are found in.

"Our homes should be safe sanctuaries for our families, not the repository for the chemical industry's poisons," said Erika Schreder, staff scientist with the Washington Toxics Coalition. "It is clear that federal chemical laws have failed us and our kids when everyday products fill our homes and our bodies with a toxic cocktail we can't avoid. For now, Washington state needs to step in and fill this huge gap in safeguards." 

The chemicals measured in household dust are found in everyday consumer products ranging from home electronics and stain-resistant fabrics to PVC shower curtains and non-stick cookware. The study found six types of chemicals in American homes: toxic flame retardants (PBDEs), linked to thyroid effects and learning deficits; the hormone disrupting chemicals in detergents (alkylphenols); pesticides, linked to cancer and nervous system harm; the stain-resistant perfluorinated compounds, which can damage organ function; and the PVC additives phthalates and organotins, which can have adverse effects on the reproductive system. House dust from 10 homes in each state was pooled for sampling, and all types of chemicals were found in each pooled sample.

Ivy Sager-Rosenthal is a new mom whose home was tested for the study, and is environmental health advocate at the Washington Toxics Coalition. "As a mother of a 4-month-old boy, I want to do all I can to ensure my child grows up healthy. But I can't vacuum my way out of this toxic mess. It's outrageous that the government is not protecting my child. The law needs to be changed."

The study provides additional evidence that all forms of PBDEs are persisting in our homes. The average concentration of the deca form, previously believed to be less persistent, was twice that of any of the other PBDEs tested. Legislation is pending in the state legislature (SSHB 1488/SSB 5515) to ban all forms of PBDEs, including deca, which is used widely in TV plastic casings and other electronics (see www.bantoxics.org for more information). Last year a study found levels of PBDEs in the breast milk of 40 Northwest women that were 20 to 40 times higher than the levels found in women living in Europe or Japan.

"Protecting babies and breast milk by phasing out toxic flame retardants is an urgent matter and one of my priorities," said Lisa Brown, Senate majority leader. "I feel even more concerned now that I know these chemicals are contaminating our homes, and I am going to continue to fight for this bill."

"This report is a wake-up call that we need action now to get toxic flame retardants and other dangerous chemicals out of our homes," said Barry Lawson, MD, president of the Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. "The legislature should move to phase out all forms of toxic flame retardants, and fund Ecology's PBT program to phase out other persistent toxic chemicals."

The Toxic-Free Legacy Coalition, a broad coalition of public health, environmental, and faith-based organizations, is calling for:

• An overhaul of federal chemical regulation that would phase out the most hazardous chemicals, including chemicals linked to cancer, hormone disruption, nervous system and reproductive harm;
• Immediate action by the Washington State Legislature to phase out all forms of the toxic flame retardants known as PBDEs; and
• Action by companies to replace dangerous chemicals with safer alternatives.
  

Dr. Patricia Dawson, breast cancer surgeon, also donated house dust for the study. She said, "There is no justification for continued use of chemicals that may reasonably be suspected to cause breast cancer and other health problems.  As a surgeon, my job is to treat disease. The federal government's job is to do what it can to protect the public from toxic exposures and potentially prevent cancer from happening in the first place."

In addition to report authors Clean Production Action, the following groups helped collect the research for the Sick of Dust report: Alliance for Healthy Tomorrow, Center for Environmental Health, Citizens Environmental Coalition, Ecology Center, Environmental Health Strategy Center, Oregon Environmental Council, Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition and the Washington Toxics Coalition.

For a copy of the full report please visit www.safer-products.org.

ATTENTION TELEVISION JOURNALISTS: B-Roll is available.

Contact:

Erika Schreder
Washington Toxics Coalition
206-632-1545 ext. 119

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