How to Protect Children From Chemicals Found in Flame Retardants (From my book: THE TOXIC SANDBOX)

1.) There are high levels of PCBs and PBDEs in farmed salmon; all salmon labeled “Atlantic” are farmed. If you feel you must feed salmon to your children, select wild-caught salmon instead, or opt for fish that are lower on the food chain, for instance shrimp, tilapia, and flounder. Do keep in mind that some researchers suggest that pregnant women and breastfeeding women should avoid fish altogether. For a list of fish that are safe to eat, go to page ____.

2.) PCBs and PBDEs build up in the fatty tissue of meat and dairy products. Therefore it makes a lot of sense to reduce the amount of fat in the food you serve your children. For instance, choose skim milk, low fat yogurt, skinless chicken breast, and turkey. Because they do not consume animal fat in their feed, grass-fed animals and fowl contain fewer PCBs and PBDEs. To buy grass-fed products go on-line to: eatwild.com. There you will find a wealth of information about the farmers as well as information on how and where to buy their products.

3.) High levels of PBDEs have been found in household dust. One way to limit PBDE exposure to small children who spend a lot of time on the floor is to vacuum floors and upholstered furniture regularly with a vacuum that has a high-efficiency, or HEPA, filter. If you can avoid it, do not use a bagless vacuum. PBDEs may be released when dumping dust and particles from the container.

4.) Wipe dusty surfaces with a wet cloth and mop floors regularly.

5.) Purchase furniture, children’s pajamas, electronics, cars, and carpets from companies that have chosen not to use PBDEs in their products.

Companies to look for include:

FURNITURE and CARPETS: Ikea, Shaw Carpets

CARS: Volvo

ELECTRONICS: Intel, Phillips, IBM, Dell, Ericsson

(Hewlett-Packard, Motorola, Panasonic, NEC, Hitachi, Sony, Samsung, and Toshiba are phasing out toxic flame retardants from their products.)