Environmental Science and Technology Archives

Environmental Science and Technology

April 15, 2025

Unsafe sleeping? Mattresses may expose children to toxins as they sleep, studies find

By Shannon Kelleher

While monsters under the bed may be just childhood fantasy, parents might have real reason to fear what’s lurking in their children’s mattresses.

These mattresses can contain a variety of toxic chemicals including flame retardants and substances called “plasticizers” that make materials softer and more flexible, exposing kids and babies as they sleep to harmful emissions linked to issues with cognitive function, asthma, cancer and other health problems, according to new peer-reviewed research.

In a study published April 15 in the Environmental Science & Technology Letters, scientists detected over two dozen phthalates, flame retardants, and UV-filter chemicals (which protect materials from sunlight) in 25 Canadian children’s bedrooms, with the highest levels in the air around the beds where the children slept.

A related study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology pointed to mattresses as the likely source, finding emissions of 21 semi-volatile organic compounds in 16 newly purchased children’s mattresses when the researchers simulated a child’s body weight and temperature.

While the testing took place with mattresses purchased in Canada, it seems likely that mattresses in the US would contain similar chemicals of concern, since the countries use some of the same brands and likely rely on some of the same suppliers, said Arlene Blum, executive director of the Green Science Policy Institute and an author of one of the studies.

The findings “underscore the role of children’s mattresses as a significant source” of these chemicals in children’s sleeping environments and are “particularly concerning given the substantial amount of time children spend sleeping each day, their tendency for higher exposures and increased susceptibility to harm due to their developmental stage,” the authors write.

March 31, 2025

PFAS found in household dust near North Carolina chemical plant

By Shannon Kelleher

Residues of harmful industrial chemicals, including some phased out of production 20 years ago, have been found in household dust in research that shows exposure risks go beyond contaminated food and water, according to a study published Monday.

The study analyzed kitchen dust collected in 2019 from 65 households in an area of North Carolina near a plant owned by DuPont spin-off company Chemours, looking for 48 types of toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The researchers identified at least one type of PFAS in every sample, with higher concentrations of the chemicals in homes located closer to the facility.

Twelve of the PFAS chemicals the researchers detected were per- and polyfluoroalkyl ether acids [PFEAs], a subset of PFAS chemicals had previously been found in the plant’s air emissions or wastewater. All were detected at least once in the dust samples, with seven found in more than three-quarters of all samples. The researchers also found high levels of PFAS chemicals not necessarily linked to the plant in over 90% of samples.

“The detection of PFEAs [per- and polyfluoroalkyl ether acids, a subset of PFAS chemicals] in residential dust is important considering growing evidence of PFEA toxicity,” the authors wrote in the journal Environmental Science and Technology. “Our findings demonstrate the need for more rigorous exposure monitoring of dust in homes in PFAS impacted communities and more work to identify sources of ultrashort chain PFAS.”

Out of the 65 households, nine reported having at least one participant who had ever worked at the nearby chemical plant, the researchers said.