Although researchers have known for years that house dust typically contains lead and certain pesticides, it has recently come to their attention that another class of chemicals is being raised as being a part of the dust that invades everyone’s homes - polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants. It is also being realized that many humans already have huge amounts of these substances in their bodies. Unfortunately, no one is sure what these products do to humans although studies are emerging that are focusing on thyroid effects.

As organicconsumers.org reports, “PBDEs have been used extensively in the highly flammable plastic components of consumer goods including couches, mattresses, carpet padding, televisions, computers, cushions, car stereos, navigation systems, car seats, and padded dashboards. By 2001, a sufficient volume of data documenting PBDEs’ persistence, toxicity, and tendency to bioaccumulate had emerged that Europeans were calling for two PBDE formulations — pentaBDE and octaBDE — to be banned.”