Does your mattress release toxins while you sleep?

WEDNESDAY, July 10, 2019 (HealthDay News) – Most people view their bed as a safe haven, but new research suggests that your body heat could trigger the release of potentially harmful chemicals from your mattress.

Mattresses are known to release minute amounts of gaseous chemicals called volatile organic compounds (VOCs). According to the researchers, these VOCs come mainly from the polyurethane used in the mattress, but also from other chemicals used in flame retardants and plastics.

Unfortunately, the heat of your body seems to increase the VOC emissions of your mattress, according to tests conducted on eight types of polyurethane mattresses.

But do not throw away your mattress at the moment: the estimated doses of most VOCs have remained well below levels that could have health effects, the researchers noted.

However, some compounds have reached levels of concern for infants and young children, if their age was taken into account in the calculations of exposure, the researchers added.

"There is no reason to panic, and yet it is important to understand that the quality of the air in our sleeping micro-environment is important for our exposure to various pollutants such as VOCs," he said. said senior researcher Yael Dubowski, Associate Professor at the Center. Israeli Institute of Technology. "Therefore, we should make an effort to improve it."

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the health effects badociated with VOCs range from irritation of the eyes, nose and throat to headaches, to organic lesions. Some VOCs, including benzene, acetaldehyde and formaldehyde, have been badociated with an increased risk of cancer.

For the study, Dubowski and his colleagues submitted eight different mattresses to simulated sleep conditions, mimicking the high body heat, moisture, and carbon dioxide caused by humans when they were even sleeping. a few hours.

Sarah Evans, badistant professor of environmental medicine and public health at Icahn School of Medicine in Mount Sinai, New York, said Sarah Evans.

"Often, we think that if you let something warm up for a moment, you can dramatically reduce the level of chemicals giving off gases," said Evans, who did not participate in the event. 39; study. "In this case, even after six months, they still found appreciable levels of gas release."

The researchers found that body heat increased VOC releases from each mattress compared to released levels when mattresses were not used.

The researchers noted that the estimated exposures remained below the "NSRL" set in California's stringent environmental laws.

However, if the exposure levels took into account the age of a child, the situation became more worrisome. For example, cancer-related compounds, such as acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, and benzene, have reached or exceeded age-adjusted levels, the researchers said.

The new study was published on July 10 in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.

Experts are usually more concerned about children's exposure to VOCs, said Dr. Kenneth Spaeth, head of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at Northwell Health in Great Neck, N.Y.

Babies in particular spend a lot of time in their cradle, lying on foam mattresses that produce these gases, said Spaeth, who did not participate in the study.

"Because of their age and size, they are particularly vulnerable to potential toxic effects," he said.

Even though these chemicals do not cause immediate damage, there is concern that exposure increases their risk of cancer throughout life, said Evans and Spaeth.

The best way to protect yourself from VOCs is to maintain good ventilation inside your home, by opening windows and using fans, they said.

"Indoor air can have up to 10 times more VOCs than outside air," Evans said. "Getting fresh air can really help reduce those exposures."

Consumers can also choose mattresses made from materials other than polyurethane foam, Evans said. Mattresses containing cotton, wool and natural latex will all produce less gas.

Unfortunately, it can be very difficult for consumers to determine the contents of a mattress and the type of VOC that these materials could produce, Spaeth said.

"Consumers are in a very difficult position," Spaeth said. "It's very difficult to get good information about the contents of a mattress, and even if you know it, unless you understand the different materials well, it's hard to know which chemicals can be emitted by these materials.

"Chemicals issued will not be listed in a label indicating what the mattress is doing," Spaeth said. "These are by-products of materials."

More information

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has more on volatile organic compounds.