More Information
MSDS
Doctors Statements
What
can you do?
 |
A new law is being
enacted nationwide by the CPSC and went into effect in
California January 1, which requires all mattresses to
resist ignition from open flames. The primary chemical
used, as a flame retardant, is a poisonous pesticide
called Boric Acid, yes exactly the same chemical
shown at left (H3BO3). Our recent science gives us many
more warnings on human exposure. The EPA and CDC warn of
Reproductive, Developmental, and Neurological Damage. It
has many known health risks including, genital damage,
brain damage, anemia, infertility, birth defects, and
death, and at the very least may dry and irritate your
skin and lungs. This Poisonous
chemical is going in our beds, not in some plastic part
on your computer. Our Beds, where we sleep, are
intimate, and lay our newborn babies with us. These
chemicals are concentrated in the surface of our
mattresses and absorb through our skin and breathing.
Doctors agree long close exposure on a mattress eight
hours every day increases risks.
This issue is urgent
because these chemicals are already being added to many
new mattresses nationwide in anticipation of this new
law. The law becomes effective January 1st in
California and probably within the next year for the
entire United States.While Boric Acid is an ancient
method to fireproof cloth, it is also a known poisonous
pesticide/insecticide. When Roaches, Ants, and other
insects walk through its dust it kills them, and their
entire colony within three weeks. It may be safe use to
fireproof something like booth drapes at a convention.
But this time they are putting a large amount of it in
the surface of our mattresses!
Boric Acid is a
poisonous pesticide: Effectively kills roaches,
silverfish, ants, fleas, palmetto bugs and water bugs.
Most people have the common sense not to put a pound or
more in the surface of their mattress.
They have a saying
in the pesticide industry, “There are no safe
pesticides, only safe use.” Respected Doctors agree:
Boric Acid in the surface of mattresses is not safe use.
Most people have
trouble believing industry and government are putting
this poisonous chemical in our mattresses to make them
fireproof, and think, they must use a different chemical
or something else. No, it is exactly the same chemical
as the pesticide (H3BO3). Check the mattress Law Tag; if
it says ‘Treated Cotton’ it’s likely Boron/Boric Acid.
How is this
happening? It appears industry and government have taken
the attitude, ‘Well, we have been making cloth fireproof
for years with Boric Acid and don’t know of killing
anyone yet. They consider it a good chemical because it
can protect us from fire. Then they make the stretch
that it is OK to concentrate a large amount of this
chemical in the surface of our mattresses. Does the
Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) not know what
another branch of our government is doing? The Agency
for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) a
division of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) cites
Boron/Boric Acid as one of 275 substances “which pose
the most significant potential threat to human health”
Perhaps the CPSC and
industry are unaware there are a lot more new scientific
discoveries in the last 30-years that prove and warn of
the human exposure risks from Boric Acid. One mattress
with this chemical claims: “Contains no harmful
chemicals.” |
Questions to ask to find out if all natural:
1. Are there any bonding or scrim in any of the battings?
2. Are there any Vanillin or scents added?
Most Talalay has
this; we have not tested Dunlopillow and this may not contain
Vanillin but we do not know its chemical content..
3. Are there any silica agents added?
4. Is the rubber free of all benzene, toluene, and pthalates?
Ask for test results
5. Are the materials protected from growing to final product?
Includes packaging
6. Is the wool batting processed at an
organic facility to prevent contamination?
Also we have found that ozonation actually helps speed the
breakdown of rubber.
This mattress
cutaway shows how Boric Acid is used in mattresses. The
layer at the surface is fluffy cotton batting treated
with Boric Acid. The layer next to the springs is
compressed cotton batting treated with Boric Acid. The
law label tells us the mattress contains: 47% Urethane
Foam, 39% Treated Cotton, 13% Polyester Fiber. By
weighing the cotton batting in the mattress and assuming
10% Boric Acid by weight, Boric Acid treated mattresses
would contain the following amount of Boric Acid in each
mattress:
Amount of Boric Acid
in Non Wool Covered Mattresses by Size
|
Size |
Pounds |
Grams |
Ounces |
|
King |
1.8 |
824 |
29 |
|
Queen |
1.5 |
659 |
23 |
|
Full |
1.2 |
553 |
20 |
|
Twin |
0.9 |
386 |
14 |
|
the only industry standard created exclusively for
the organic mattress industry.
