IN THE NEWS: Fire Retardants are Likely Culprits in Fire Fighter Cancer Diagnoses
/Having lived, studied and worked in Boston for almost two decades collectively, this one hits close to home for us. Local press reports have recently drawn attention to unexpectedly high rates of cancer among Boston firefighters--over 2.5 times the diagnosis rate of the city's general population. And while it comes as no surprise that chronic exposure to smoke leads to higher cancer rates, recent findings suggest that when the chemicals added to our furniture to prevent the rapid spread of fire go up in flames, they emit noxious gases that put emergency responders at increased risk for many types of occupational cancer. Former BFD firefighter Michael Hamrock MD says, “Chronic exposure to heat, smoke and toxins is what’s causing cancer in our firefighters. Flame retardants are designed to prevent fire spread. But unfortunately what we’ve found is that when they combust, they give off these dangerous carcinogens.” Blair Miller’s article on the topic in this month’s issue of Boston Magazine explains:
...the smoke firefighters are exposed to is often loaded with a litany of septic chemicals—formaldehyde, vinyl chloride, chlorophenols, dioxins, trichloroethylene, ethylene oxide, polychlorinated biphenyls, methylene chloride, orthotoluidine, and arsenic, to name a few. Alone, any one of these may be harmful; mixed together they could make a potent cocktail of carcinogens with the capacity to do untold damage to the body’s organs, cells, and DNA.
The Boston Fire Department released an educational video in 2015 aimed at getting more firefighters to use their gear properly. Firefighter culture has historically touted those individuals who fight fires without adequate ventilation as heroes, and the 8-minute segment offers a sobering look at the profound loss that results from that mindset. Since 1960, over 190 Boston firefighters have died from occupational cancer, and a new firefighter is diagnosed every 3 weeks.
And while appropriate use of protective gear on the job is crucial for first responders, isn’t this also a call to reevaluate the broader and continued use of flame retardants in furnishings and building materials nationwide? California led the charge on reducing the use of flame retardant chemicals in residential furniture and other household products when it implemented Technical Bulletin 117-2013, which was made compulsory for furniture manufacturers in 2015. It doesn’t ban the use of flame retardants, but it allows manufacturers to address flammability without the use of potentially harmful chemicals. Responding to consumer pressure, many manufacturers have phased out the use of flame retardants in their products nationwide, effective in 2015. In summer of 2016, President Obama signed into law another significant milestone in the struggle to understand the impacts of harmful chemicals on our health and our environment: The Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act. It will undoubtedly take time and collective effort to press forward on reducing the impacts of harmful chemicals on our health and that of the natural world around us. And given the widely established health risks associated with chronic exposure to flame, it’s hard to be patient.
What can we do in the meantime to reduce exposures for our families and the first responders who bravely help us in times of need?
When shopping for new furniture, vote with your dollars to support manufacturers who have banned fire retardants in their mattresses, upholstered furniture, drapes and carpets.
Repair or replace pre-2005 upholstered furniture at the first sign of damage. If you plan to recover your existing furniture, be sure to replace the underlying foam and cushioning as well.
Do your research when replacing household furniture and electronics. Be especially discriminating if you’re on the market for baby products.
Tell your congressional representatives that you support the EPA’s efforts to move forward on Lautenberg Act (LCSA) implementation efforts. Under our current administration, EPA’s agency is at risk, and while new EPA head Scott Pruitt has professed to support LCSA efforts during his tenure, it’s important that our representatives know that chemical safety is a priority for all of us.