Safe Kids Campaign
Status: In Progress
The Problem:
Because of California flammability standard TB117, toxic flame retardant chemicals are used in nursing pillows, strollers, infant carriers, basinets, and other baby products containing foam. Children and infants are most sensitive to the adverse health effects of this class of chemical toxins. Babies are born with these chemicals in their bodies and get a further dose from their mother's milk and exposure to baby products.
Stage 1: Research Collaboration
Green Science Policy has partnered with Heather Stapleton of Duke University and Susan Klosterhaus of the San Francisco Estuary Institute in collecting foam samples from 101 baby products and carrying out mass spectroscopy analyses to identify the flame retardants used. We found that a majority of nursing pillows, changing table pads, baby carriers, car seats, and other baby products tested contained chemical flame retardants which are either known to be associated with adverse health effects or are lacking in adequate health information.
Stage 2: Publications, Presentations, and White Papers
• Initial results and policy analyses were presented at the Dioxin 2010 conference in San Antonio and published in Organohalogen Compounds:
Stapleton H, Klosterhaus S, Blum A, Webster T. (2010) Identification of flame retardants in polyurethane foam collected from baby products, 30th International Symposium on Halogenated Persistent Organic Pollutants, San Antonio, United States.
Daley R, Shaw S, Birnbaum L, Blum A. (2010) It’s all about penta: Informing decision-makers about the properties of penta-BDE and its replacements . Organohalogen Compounds 72: 1673-1678.
• The final study was published in Environmental Science & Technology in May 2011:
Stapleton HM, Klosterhaus S, Keller A, Ferguson PL, van Bergen S, Cooper E, Webster TF, Blum A. (2011) Identification of flame retardants in polyurethane foam collected from baby products. Environmental Science & Technology 45: 5323-5331.
Stage 3: Communication of Findings to Decision-Makers and the Public
We have written a Safe Kids Campaign Guide and Brochure that give an overview of the flame retardant chemicals used in baby products and their health effects, steps to reduce exposure, how to get involved in the campaigns to replace TB117 and reform TSCA, and a list of baby products whose manufacturers state do not contain added flame retardants. Informed parents can choose to buy safer products and can bring their concerns to manufacturers and decision makers.
Policy Outcomes to Date:
In response to testing by the Consumer Product Safety Commission showing lack of fire hazard from baby products, a proposal exempting infant carriers, strollers, nursing pillows, and bassinets from TB117 was put forward by the Bureau.
We, along with a dozen NGO representatives, wrote the Bureau in support of the proposed exemption.
As of December of 2010, four baby products (infant carriers, strollers, nursing pillows, and bassinets) are exempted from TB117.