We all know that children's toys should be checked for toxic chemicals, and many studies have done so, prompting removal of harmful chemicals and recalls of harmful products. Now a new study from the Ecology Center is focusing on home improvement products like flooring and wallpaper.
What chemicals are we exposing our families to in our homes?
The report found:
- 5% of all flooring samples had detectable levels of lead. Products with the highest percent of lead included vinyl sheet flooring and vinyl tile flooring.
- Two-thirds of PVC flooring tiles contained organotin stabilizers. Some forms of organotins are endocrine disruptors and other forms can impact the developing brain and are toxic to the immune system.
- 96% of the wallpapers sampled contained polyvinyl chloride (PVC) coatings. PVC has chemical additives including phthalates, lead and cadmium, all of which are harmful to children even at low levels.
- Over 50% of PVC wallpaper samples contained one or more hazardous chemicals of concern including lead, cadmium, chromium, tin and antimony.
- Nearly one in five wallpaper samples contained detectable levels of cadmium. All wallpaper with cadmium was vinyl coated.
Environmental health advocates reacted to this report calling once again for action to be taken by the states, and for the reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) on the federal level.
Some reactions:
"With each new scientific report linking toxic chemical exposure to a serious health problem, it becomes more obvious that the law intended to keep harmful chemicals in check — the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1976 — is not working."
-Andy Igrejas, Director of Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, a coalition of 250 groups working to overhaul our failed chemicals policy.
"It's not enough to just get toxic chemicals out of products specifically designed for kids. Kids are exposed to chemicals throughout their day in many different products. The government needs to strengthen standards for all chemicals so that children and families are adequately protected"
-Ivy Sager-Rosenthal, Washington Toxics Coalition
"We knew all along that the focus on children's toys was important, but that kids can be exposed in many ways ... the cumulative effect of all these exposures is what makes them harmful."
-Diana Zuckerman, president of the National Research Center for Women and Families in the Detroit Free Press
"Over time, these chemicals leach out of the wallpaper, out of the flooring, and into house dust ... And while kids aren't necessarily licking the wall paper, house dust accumulates on different items and onto the toys and other things that they are putting in to their mouths."
-Lisa Mikesell, Washington Toxics Coalition
"The good news is there are plenty of safer cost competitive alternatives. The researchers found that linoleum, cork, bamboo and hardwood flooring all tested free of lead, cadmium, mercury and other hazardous metals."
-Mike Schade, Center for Health, Environment & Justice
"The public needs to know that there are practically no restrictions on chemicals used in home improvement products."
-Jeff Gearhart, lead researcher, The Ecology Center
The full home improvement database and more information about what consumers can do is available at http://www.healthystuff.org/departments/home-improvement/.
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