Green Calgary

Into the Flames

Reader Question

Dearest Ashley,

Are mattresses in Canada doused in flame retardants, as they are in the United States? What exactly is the best mattress available?

Curiously,
Lindsay

Ashley's Answer

Hello Lindsay,

I caught wind of the fact that mattresses and pillows were “doused” in flame-retardants while watching the thought-provoking short film The Story of Stuff and my first thought was, “have we lost our minds?” It seemed completely absurd to use a flame-retardant chemical on something that we spend a third of our lives sleeping on. Now, from the way you posed your question, I’m assuming that your information source was American and what you really want to know is whether or not Canadians are as paranoid about their mattresses bursting into flames. Well, it appears so.

In Canada, mattresses are covered under the Hazardous Products Regulations. Health Canada has set fire safety standards that require that all mattresses and futons sold in Canada must resist catching fire from a smouldering cigarette. Because the vast majority of mattresses are made from a variety of petroleum-based materials, they are not naturally fireproof. Go figure. So, in order to make these incredible fuel sources fire proof, manufactures apply fire retardants to them and this is where things start to get sticky.

The most commonly used class of flame retardants are the brominated flame retardants (BFRs), and according to the Environmental Working Group, BFRs contain PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers), a group of chemicals that are highly persistent and which bioaccumulate in the environment and in the food chain. PBDEs have been detected in household dust, human blood and breast milk and they are suspected hormone disruptors and may cause cancer, as well as reproductive and developmental disorders. Health Canada reports that individuals residing in North American have higher levels of PBDEs in their bodies than their European counterparts, where some PBDEs have been banned.

Now, after reading the section about PBDE flame retardants on Health Canada’s website, I do not get the impression that they are looking at phasing out PBDEs anytime soon but they do suggest that some manufactures are voluntarily phasing them out as more and more people become increasingly concerned about the long-term health impacts of these and similar chemicals. The operative words here are ‘some manufactures’, and from what I have read, it does not seem to represent the majority. It appears that those companies (i.e. Ikea) that have voluntarily removed PBDEs from their mattresses have begun using another chemical group that has the acronym TCEP, which represent the chlorinated phosphate esters and these, too, are facing restrictions in the European Union.

So, how the heck do you find a mattress that won’t suddenly burst into flames but isn’t dipped in a bath of chemicals? Well that depends on what you’re willing to spend. Ottawa-based Obasan makes a latex mattress made with 97 percent pure rubber tree milk stabilized with zinc oxide as its bonding agent. It is covered with 100 per cent certified organic cotton, and wool batting is added for moisture control and for its natural flame retardant properties. These mattresses start around $2000 for a queen. Similarly, Ikea’s Sultan Heidal mattresses are made with 85 per cent natural latex (15 per cent synthetic), and integrate PLA (corn-based) and wool wadding, as well as “eco-cotton”. These mattresses are not quite as pure as those made by Obasan but they are roughly half the price.

The bottom line is that most mattresses on the market are either petroleum-based, coated in one flame retarding product or another, or emit significant levels of VOCs (volatile organic compounds). To purchase a truly green and healthy mattress you will likely have to spend more than you are probably used to spending on a mattress. That said, we do spend a third of our lives in our beds and, when it comes down to it, a good, toxic-free sleep is priceless.

Dreamily,
Ashley

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