Harmful chemical wafts off your TV

[Guest guest]

Harmful chemical wafts off your TV

_http://seattletimes .nwsource. com/html/ health/200440613 4_dust11. html_

(http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2004406134_dust11.html)

By Scott Streater

 

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

 

FORT WORTH, Texas - Common household dust has long been known to carry

pesticides, allergens and other irritants.

 

But the dust that coats your television sets may answer why virtually every

American tested has traces of a chemical flame retardant that may be harmful.

 

The flame retardants have been used for decades in television sets,

computer-wire insulation, mattress stuffing, carpet padding and many other

common

household products. They have been found in household dust, but no one has been

able to say how they got there and from what products.

 

A study by researchers at Boston University's School of Public Health

appears to have pinpointed the largest source of chemical flame retardants as

the

dust on television sets.

 

Using a portable X-ray device, researchers sampled 19 Boston-area homes and

found large volumes of the flame retardants in television dust.

 

One theory is that when the television heats up, the flame retardants in the

TV vaporize into a gas, eventually settling into the dust in the air and on

bookshelves, floors and appliances.

 

" I think this link between the flame retardants and dust in TVs is a really

big deal, " said Tom Webster, a Boston University epidemiologist who led the

study.

 

That's true, in part, because millions of television sets are expected to be

discarded in February when television broadcasts switch to digital signals,

resulting in a much greater volume of flame retardants contaminating the

environment. The flame retardants take decades to break down, and they have

been

shown to travel great distances in the air and water.

 

Q & A

 

Question: What are chemical flame retardants?

 

Answer: Synthetic chemicals called polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs,

that help prevent the spread of fire by impeding the chemical reaction that

causes it. They are commonly found in polyurethane foam products, such as the

padding in furniture, textiles, televisions and computers.

 

Q: What's the concern?

 

A: The main concern is that PBDEs build up in the body over time. Data on

how they affect humans are slowly emerging. Animal studies have shown that

PBDEs harm the nervous system and alter hormonal functions and the development

of

reproductive organs. The most common flame retardant in use today has been

found to cause cancer in lab rats. Industry officials said that the levels in

people and the environment are low and that this commonly used flame

retardant is safe.

 

Q: What's being done?

 

A: Many companies, including Sony, are phasing out the use of PBDEs in

televisions - the average U.S. household has more than two television sets.

 

Q: What should you do?

 

A: The most important things are wash your hands often and dust your house.

A study last year by researchers at Boston University's School of Public

Health linked the presence of the flame retardants found in people to exposure

to

common dust, which can be inhaled in the air or ingested in food.

 

Fort Worth Star-Telegram