Emissions from some substances used to build furniture can provoke immediate, acute reactions in some people with chemical sensitivities, but even emissions that go unnoticed can present chronic risks from long-term exposure, according to an article by Susan Fornoff in the San Francisco Chronicle.
Here’s a partial list of chemicals in furniture that can make you sick:
Upholstery – Might use formaldehyde and perfluorooctanoic acid, considered a like human carcinogen by the EPA.
Couch legs or arms – Could be finished in a lacquer that releases volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, that the American Lung Association reports can irritate eyes, skin, and lungs and cause headaches, nausea, and even liver or kidney damage.
Corners of the couch – Could be glued with a product containing ethylene oxide, a probable carcinogen that can also cause brain and nerve malfunctions.
Upholstery dye – Might contain chemicals including benzidine, a known carcinogen, or hydrazine, a probably carcinogen with a range of adverse health effect.
Couch cushions – Might be filled with polyurethane foam made before 2006 that contains flame-retardant polybrominated diphenyl ethers, which are now banned in California for their potential health effects. Scheuer Linens uses latex in their Royal-Pedic mattress sets but polyurethane is still used in most mattresses being sold today.
Couch frame – Could be made pressed wood emitting formaldehyde fumes. These can cause cancer “and other adverse health effects,” according to the California Air Resources Board.
Check Greenguard and Green Seal, two independent and impartial nonprofit testers, for lists of the kind of furniture you’re looking for. You can also learn more at: Sustainable Furniture Council, and Royal-Pedic.
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