Chemicals In Mattresses

There are alternatives to chemical flame retardants.

Chemicals in mattresses.

Mattress companies add these chemical flame retardants because it is an inexpensive way to meet federal flammability standards. And pvc or vinyl. Your mattress could contain a variety of different materials that off gas and some of those vapors carry significant risks to your long term health. Memory foam mattresses are made with polyurethane.

For a mattress to qualify for the usda organic seal it needs at least 95 percent certified organic materials and to be processed without potentially harmful chemicals says charlotte. This process has been known to cause eye and throat irritation nausea headaches and difficulty breathing. Flame retardant chemicals linked to cancer hormone disruption and adverse effects on the immune system. For instance wool is able to act as a natural flame retardant but this is more expensive and time consuming to produce and thus not commonly used.

These vocs come mainly from the polyurethane used in the mattress but also from other. Mattresses are known to release minute amounts of gaseous chemicals called volatile organic compounds vocs. This includes polyurethane foam that can emit volatile organic compounds or vocs harmful chemicals that can cause respiratory irritation or other health problems. Other chemicals frequently found in memory foam and other synthetic mattresses include formaldehyde benzene and napthalene.