Children May Have Flame Retardant Chemicals in Their Blood

If the flame retardant chemicals often found in textiles, electronics, and furniture mix with household dust, they may pose a health hazard. In this study, researchers found that house cats from 17 households had elevated levels of flame-retardant chemicals in their blood. Because small children tend to put things in their mouths, the research team suspects a child’s exposure to these potentially harmful chemicals may be similar to that of the cats in the study. Study author Dr. Jana Weiss explains, “It’s particularly serious when small children ingest these [flame-retardant chemicals], because exposure during development could have consequences later in life, such as thyroid disease.”
Environmental Science & Technology, April 2017