Issues > Just Ask! > What's in a mattress? Protecting your child against PBDEs.

What's in a mattress? Protecting your child against PBDEs.

A Reader Asks:

My husband and I cosleep with our 2 1/2 month old son. Recently, we purchased a new, firmer mattress. After the purchase, I was advised by a friend that standard coil mattresses, like the one we purchased, offgas hazardous chemicals. In a panic I purchased an encasement lined with urethane for chemically sensitive people, in an effort to contain these toxins. Have I done the right thing? Should I consider disposing of our mattress and purchasing a natural, organic cotton one? Are these fears even realistic? Thank you.

The Green Guide Answers:

It would be alarmist to recommend that you get rid of your new mattress based on the possibility that it might offgas toxic chemicals. Precautions such as frequent vacuuming, ventilation at night, and a HEPA air filter can help minimize exposures from any offgassing. With your 2 1/2 month old son in the equation, though, it may be prudent to begin shopping for an organic cotton baby mattress wrapped in naturally flame retardant wool, which will also minimize airborne dust mite droppings, or treated with boric acid—two nontoxic ways to make cotton fire-resistant. Look for mattresses whose labels say they meet the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission's (CPSC) and California's flammability-resistance standards. The composition and layering of the wool is important in meeting California's tough new open flame standards. To support the environment as well as your health, go with organic cotton that has been cultivated without polluting pesticides or synthetic fertilizers.

Some conventional mattresses can potentially offgas hazardous chemicals. Mattress foam is treated with fire-retardants. The greatest potential health risk is posed by one class of fire retardants: polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). These have been widely used in polyurethane foam and other plastics. Due to the health risks and public pressure, use of these chemicals is declining and less toxic alternatives are becoming more common. PBDEs are similar in makeup to PCBs—their chemical cousins that have been banned for nearly three decades, because they cause immune suppression, endocrine disruption, cancer, and behavioral problems, among other ill effects. In California, two PBDEs are being phased out, with a total ban to go into effect after 2006. The Great Lakes Chemical Corporation, the only manufacturer of penta- and octa-varieties of PBDEs, agreed to stop production in 2004. Exposure to PBDEs may be especially harmful to infants and fetuses, with human studies revealing that these compounds accumulate in breast milk. Infants are always more vulnerable than adults to exposure to toxic substances.

There's a chance that the mattress and/or the urethane encasement are treated with PBDEs. The first step is to find out if they are. You should first check if the manufacturer has provided any information regarding the kind of fire retardant(s) used. Companies selling furniture in California must use labels that disclose the filling content and flammability.

The next step would be to call the manufacturer. With regard to the mattress, it's possible the manufacturer may honestly not know how the foam they use has been treated. In which case, you'll need to find out who produces the foam and call them directly.

Other sources of offgassing can cause upper respiratory problems and skin irritation. These include the chemicals used for stain- or water-resistant "finishing" (a process that uses offgassing chemicals such as formaldehyde). The neurotoxin toluene is perhaps the most dangerous of polyurethane's possible VOCs, though it's unclear how often toluene is actually released. If the mattress is all or part cotton, it may be bleached (sometimes with sodium hypochlorite, the manufacture of which releases dioxin). And again, since the danger, particularly to your child, is primarily from inhalation, frequent vacuuming, ventilation at night and a HEPA air filter for the room will lower significantly the level of exposure of any offgassing chemicals.

Below are a few resources for mattress encasings and organic cotton baby mattresses

Mattress encasings and other healthy allergen barrier products:
Allergy Control Products: allergycontrol.com, 800-422-3878
Gazoontite: sneeze.com, 800-4MY-NOSE

Cotton baby mattresses:
A Happy Planet: ahappyplanet.com, 888-424-2779
Pure-Rest Innerspring Organic Crib and Mattress, $315
Abundant Earth: abundantearth.com, 888-513-2784
Natural Organic Crib Mattress, $349
Organic Crib Futon, $207
Organic Cotton/Wool Crib Mattress, $339