Eddie's Blog
About Eddie: I'm a dog on a mission. With your help, I'm going to change legislation in the U.S. to make sure chemicals are safe before they're put on the market. Read more or contact Eddie.
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Pollution in pets: Flame retardant chemicals
So, now you know all about the non-stick chemicals and phthalates that scientists found in pets. There's one more type of chemical that really stood out: flame retardants.
All kinds of things in our homes contain flame retardant chemicals, which are also called PBDEs. They're in the computers and TVs the humans are always using, on some of the human's clothes, and in the cushions on our couches. They're even in a lot of our dog and cat beds!
Most of our exposure comes from dust. We breath it in as it comes off the furniture, and we lick it off our fur. I'm a pretty clean dog, as dogs go, but Cleo's a lot cleaner than I am, and all that time she spends licking her paws means she's had a higher exposure to PBDEs. In fact, the cats in our study had more flame retardants in their bodies than 98% of the humans that have been tested. Dogs didn't exactly get off the hook, though. One particular chemical was found in us at 17 times the average amounts in people.
So, how do we reduce our exposure? For starters, stay away from any old, exposed or crumbling foam from furniture. Ask your humans to either get rid of it or reupholster. Furniture and pet beds made before 2005 may be especially toxic. Using a HEPA-filter vacuum will help control the dust. PBDEs are also in our food (and people's), because of pollution, so eating a varied diet is important, especially for cats. Lots of fish are loaded with PBDEs!
Any other ideas for avoiding flame retardants? Or questions about what to do? Let me know in the comments!
Are PBDEs found in all foam products? For example, we have foam floor mats at home for our baby to crawl on... should those be of concern? And if the foam in the couch or pillow is covered, does that help at all?
Thanks!
Goooood questions! I'm pretty sure PBDEs are no longer used for products other than electronics, so if your baby mats were made after 2005 they should be PBDE-free.
As for furniture made before 2005, yes, keep it covered! It poses a much bigger risk once the foam is exposed, especially if it's starting to crumble. Just think of all the PBDE dust it would kick up!
Eddie- I read something in one of your earlier blogs about household sprays. What about the Febreze spray for pet odors? It says it's safe to use around cats and dogs and carries the ASPCA seal. I've been know to spray it on the dog beds and carpets to help control the smell sometimes.
Lets see. I had to do a little digging, since I don't have any Febreze on hand, but here's what I think: The active ingredient in Febreze appears to be cyclodextrin, which gets a low hazard rating on EWG's Skin Deep website. But, from what I can tell, Febreze also contains "fragrance," and that means hidden chemicals, including those nasty phthalates (which were found in high levels in pets).
If Febreze makes a fragrance-free line, it would probably be good. I'll see if I can dig up some other way of making stuff not smell like smelly cats and dogs!
Thanks for all your help Eddie!!! It's so nice to have a place to go and find answers to all those questions we have. I've been passing on all the websites for EWG. I can't wait to see what you find out about Febreze. For now, I'll stop using it. I have heard that vinegar water helps to remove odors. Any harm in using diluted vinegar around pets??
I have started feeding my two dogs "Newman's Own Organic" dry dog food, do you know is this a good food to feed them? Any ingredients I do not want my dogs to ingest?
Also, my husband really likes to use TrueGreen Chemlawn on the grass in our yard. I always worry about the products getting on my dog's feet and being absorbed into their systems. I read on TrueGreen's website that after the product has air dried on the grass it is non-toxic, I am still not convinced. Any thoughts?
Thank you,
oscarlove
Oscarlove--I'm not sure how safe TruGreen Chemlawn is either. The company tries to tell me it's safe for pets and kids after it dries, but what about if they eat it?? My dogs like to chew on the grass now and then and if the grass is absorbing the product, then the dogs are too. I've decided to switch to a natural product called TerraCycle ( www.terracycle.net ) it's made with worm poop so it's pretty natural. This is the first year for me to use it, but I have high hopes for it and it's gotten great reviews.
Oscarlove, I'm working on a post about pet food, so stay tuned!
As for TrueGreen, that sounds fishy to me. I'm going to do some investigating, and I'll let you know what I find. I've heard that worm poop is great stuff though!
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