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Cancerous Toxins Found in Couches

I've been trying hard to ignore the reports all week- that many flame retardent chemicals present in household furniture, and particularly our couches, place us all at risk for cancer.  But the more I stare at my couch sitting there in my living room, the more I wonder if it's going to put me into an early grave. A recent study published in the Journal for Environmental Science and Technology tested only 102 couches purchased in the United States from 1985 to 2010.  But the results were startling.  85% tested positive for flame retardent chemicals, which is to be expected.  However, these flame retardent chemicals were characterized as toxic or untested.  And another 41% of these contained chlorinated Tris, a chemical banned in 1977 for causing cancer.  It's a horrible day to be in the market for new furniture, folks.

What is the Risk?

The chemicals found in these toxic couch samples contain forms of polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs), which are known hazards to humans. These carcinogenic chemicals have been linked to the following health problems:

  • neurological disorders
  • thyroid toxicity
  • liver toxicity
  • cancer
  • death
These dangerous chemicals can be extremely hazardous to humans and can be released in the air, dust, and even through a mother's breast milk.  There are a variety of different methods of exposure, which depending upon the circumstances, could cause serious harm and even cancer or death. 

If You Have Suffered Harm

If you have suffered harm due to the presence of these toxic chemicals in your couch, you may want to contact a skilled product liability attorney. A skilled product liability attorney could help you to determine whether or not you have a case and how to best help you.