Study Finds Flame-Retardant Chemical Risks for Children

Mexican American children in the Salinas Valley have seven times more flame-retardant chemicals in their bodies than foreign-born peers, according to a UC-Berkeley study. Researchers say absorption of household dust likely is the primary source of exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs. The chemicals have been used in California to comply with Technical Bulletin 117, a furniture flammability standard put in place in the 1970s.

• "UC Flame-Retardant Study Finds Risk for Kids" (Cone, Environmental Health News/San Francisco Chronicle, 4/21).
• "High Levels of Flame Retardants Found in California Kids" (Jewett, California Watch, 4/18).