"Hazardous Flame Retardants Ubiquitous in Preschools"

"Flame retardants are ubiquitous at preschools and day care centers, potentially exposing children to chemicals that are hazardous to their health, UC Berkeley researchers wrote in a study published Thursday.

The researchers collected air and floor dust samples from 40 child care centers serving more than 1,760 children in Monterey and Alameda counties and then tested the samples for potentially dangerous flame retardant chemicals.

The chemicals, which have been linked to hormone disruption and lowered IQs in children, were found in 100 percent of the dust samples collected. They included polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs, as well as tris phosphate compounds, a non-PBDE flame retardant."

Victoria Colliver reports for the San Francisco Chronicle May 14, 2014,