How Can I Get The PBDEs Out Of My Sofa?

A Reader Writes The Green Guide:

I've read about the PBDEs in sofas and upholstered furniture. I have a really nice sofa that I don't want to toss. Is there a material that I can replace the foam with?

The Green Guide Responds:

Your concerns about polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are well-taken and, happily, alternatives such as organic wool batting and a PBDE-free foam are available (see Alternatives below). Research on PBDEs has recently exploded and the results are disturbing.

PBDEs are a group of what's called brominated flame retardants used in a wide range of products including the foam in couches and mattresses. The problem is that they are not bound to the material and PBDEs can account for up 30% of the foam's weight, so much of it can escape foam cushions as household dust. Recent studies have shown that PBDEs are present throughout the environment, and have been found in human breast milk and the fatty tissues of artic mammals. The long-term effect of exposure to PBDEs is still inconclusive, though animal studies indicate they can disrupt thyroid hormones harming the brains of developing fetuses. There is an industry-wide move to phase-out PBDEs and begin using more benign flame retardants. Two varieties, the penta- and octa-BDEs, which pose the most likely health risk, are manufactured by a single company, Great Lakes Chemical, which has agreed to stop production for the U.S. market by 2005. This move is voluntary, and while sanctioned by the EPA, it is not legally binding. Consumer demand for alternatives could play a pivotal role in determining the expediency of the transition to less harmful alternatives.

The federal standards for foam fire retardants are "results-based" not "design-based". That is, current oversight is concerned with making sure that foam products are made fire retardant, not how they are made fire retardant. PBDEs are effective and their use has saved lives. Unfortunately, an unintended consequence of their success is that now there are few EPA-approved alternatives to replace them. Further, furniture manufacturers may have no way knowing if the foam used in their products is treated with PBDEs or not. Until PBDEs are no longer manufactured and the surplus of wholesale PBDE-treated foam has been exhausted, few promises can be made regarding furniture made with PBDE-free foam. As is the case with so many environmental issues, legal changes are occurring first at the state level and a handful of states have now introduced legislation to regulate PBDEs. In California and Michigan legislation has become law. California will eliminate the use of penta- and octa-BDEs by 2008. There is growing concern that this ban should include deca-DBEs as well. Penta- and octa-BDEs are easily inhaled as well as eaten in fish, meat and other food items. While it had been thought that deca-BDE was too large a molecule to be easily absorbed, a recent study found it in many food samples including soy infant milk, a real surprise since it is rare to unheard of for persistent organic pollutants to appear in a vegetable product.

Alternatives

The EU has banned the use of Penta and Octa PBDEs in all products beginning August, 2004. Ikea already offers PBDE-free furniture in Europe and the U.S. Eddie Bauer and Crate and Barrel have announced they are seeking alternatives but have yet to phase-out PBDE-treated foam in their products.

The most direct option for consumers is to buy furniture made from organic fibers (such as wool with a hemp, cotton, or linen cover) that are naturally fire retardant without additives. Natural fiber will likely be more expensive, however, it is a more ecologically sound purchase with a much smaller eco-footprint. The lifecycle of natural fiber products—from manufacturing to use and disposal—is more transparent and less environmentally costly than foam made from fossil fuel.

Another option is American Poly-Foam's new "HR" foam or high resilient foam made without PBDEs (though the company could not say what substitute was used). American Poly-Foam doesn't supply directly to consumers, but you may order it through your local upholsterer or furniture builder.

If you choose to reupholster your sofa, try to do so away from your living areas, preferably in a well-ventilated garage or even out of doors. Removing the foam from the sofa may free more fire retardants into the environment, so using a breathing mask that can filter out fine particulates would also be a good idea. Or you may choose to have a professional reupholster your furniture. Be prepared, however, to replace the cover as well since the reupholstering process may ruin your old one.

Resources

Organic Wool Batting:

Natural American Home, $12.50/lb (shop.store.yahoo.com/naturalamerica/orwoolbat1.html)

Near Sea Naturals, $38.15/yard (store.nearseanaturals.com/nearsea/item.php?id=2042)