Kids could be breathing in plasticizer chemicals from their mattresses, new study suggests

Amina Zafar · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 15, 2025 5:40 PM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

Babies and children up to property 4 could beryllium breathing in plasticizers and different chemicals from their mattresses portion they sleep, a Canadian survey suggests.

Federal regulations acceptable limits connected immoderate phthalates oregon plasticizers, which are substances added to products to marque them much flexible.

Miriam Diamond, an biology chemist astatine the University of Toronto, and her squad designed an experimentation to estimation however overmuch of the compounds are released into a child's sleeping country from 16 antithetic mattresses.

In Tuesday's contented of the diary Environmental Science & Technology, the researchers reported that 2 of the mattresses tested did not comply with Canadian regulations for 2 phthalates and 2 plasticizers in user products. 

The regulations are based connected imaginable harm to quality wellness and the environment. For instance, erstwhile babies are exposed to phthalates in location dust, studies suggest it is associated with higher hazard of asthma. 

Diamond said she was motivated to effort to recognize the interaction of the chemicals connected kids, given that babies sleep up to 18 hours a day. 

"They're successful intimate interaction with their mattress successful that sleeping environment," Diamond said successful an interview. "Kids inhale 10 times much aerial than adults, truthful that gives the accidental to beryllium exposed to airborne chemicals a batch much than adults."

The survey did not see marque names, but the researchers said mattresses were purchased for $50 to $105 from starring retail stores successful Canada.

Mitigation measures suggested 

Diamond's laboratory has antecedently reported connected however children tin beryllium exposed to phthalates and plasticizers by inhaling them, absorbing them done the skin, ingesting particulate oregon by putting their hands, apparel and toys successful their mouth. 

The researchers said the chemicals recovered in mattresses are known to beryllium associated with developmental and hormonal disorders.

Diamond suggested that parents lavation bedding and pyjamas frequently, since they are protective barriers from mattresses, and chopped backmost connected the fig of items connected children's beds, similar toys. 

The researchers besides suggested manufacturers amended the oversight of their products truthful they comply with regulations and their ain merchandise certifications. They should besides amended manufacturing practices to minimize unintentional contamination, and to lone usage specified chemicals erstwhile necessary. 

Specifically, the researchers recovered 1 mattress contained precocious levels of tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate, or TCEP, which has been prohibited from usage successful Canada since 2014 and is considered a carcinogen.

Chris Carlsten, a medicine prof astatine the University of British Columbia, has studied however phthalates tin harm quality airways.

"These are chemicals I deliberation we each should justifiably not privation to person successful these mattresses of children," said Carlsten, who was not progressive with the latest research.

He called the proposal to usage non-toxic bedding and covering "wise," adding that holds for adults, arsenic well.

Children are much susceptible fixed their processing bodies, Carlsten noted. 

Health Canada did not instantly respond to a petition for comment. The regulator has antecedently said it monitors the marketplace and follows up connected identified user merchandise risks.

Funding for the probe was provided by a University of Toronto Fellowship and Ontario Graduate Scholarship and by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.