"WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- Small doses of a flame retardant commonly added to furniture and baby products can trigger obesity, anxiety and developmental problems, according to the first independent study of a chemical promoted as safe by industry and government officials."
"Baby rats whose mothers ate tiny amounts of the chemical, known as Firemaster 550, gained significantly more weight than others that weren't exposed, according to a presentation Tuesday at a scientific conference here. The chemical made the female offspring more anxious, prompted early puberty and caused abnormal reproductive cycles.
'This raises red flags about a widely used chemical that we know little about,' said study co-author Heather Stapleton, a Duke University chemist. 'What we do know is, it's common in house dust and that people, especially kids, are being exposed to it.'"
Michael Hawthorne reports for the Chicago Tribune June 6, 2012.
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