Green Science Policy Institute
The Green Science Policy Institute provides unbiased scientific data to government, industry, and non-governmental organizations to facilitate more informed decision-making about chemicals used in consumer products. We are currently focusing on reducing the use of organohalogen flame retardants due to their adverse impacts on human and environmental health and our extensive experience in this area.
Exposé of the Flame Retardant Manufacturers
Nicholas Kristof's marvelous op-ed in the March 20, 2012 Sunday New York Times Are You Safe on that Sofa? brilliantly summarizes the Chicago Tribune's four part investigative series Playing with Fire and connects flame retardants to the problem of money politics.
The Green Science Policy Institute's work to bring good science to decision makers has prevented flame retardant manufacturers from adding millions of pounds of toxic and unneeded flame retardants to furniture, bed coverings, computers, and other products in our homes.
Please join our email list to stay informed and please donate so that we can continue to stop toxics and protect the health of our children, wildlife, and the planet.
Top Science Paper of 2011:
Flame Retardants in Baby Products
Environmental Science &Technology's Top Science Paper of 2011 was our paper with Heather Stapleton finding that 80% of baby products tested contained toxic or untested halogenated flame retardant chemicals at levels up to 12.5% of the weight of foam.
View Paper
View Press Coverage
Do Flame Retardants Save Lives?
In a new peer-reviewed study, Flame Retardants in Furniture Foam: Benefits and Risks, Vytenis Babrauskas, Arlene Blum, Rebecca Daley, and Linda Birnbaum found that California's furniture flammability standard Technical Bulletin 117 does not provide measurable fire safety benefits and leads to serious health and environmental harm.
Read the Consumer Reports Blog
Similar findings on the lack of fire safety benefits as well as current information about health and environmental hazards of halogenated flame retardants are documented in the comprehensive review paper: Halogenated Flame Retardants in Humans and the Environment: Do the Fire Safety Benefits Justify the Hazards?
Video Introduction to Flame Retardants
Featured Events
Safe Kids Campaign
Learn About Flame Retardants in Baby Products
How to Reduce Toxics in your Home
On our Consumer Page you can learn how to protect your health from toxic chemicals in consumer products.
Flame Retardants in Pets
Chemical flame retardants found in the blood of dogs at concentrations five to 10 times higher than in humans, and in cats at levels 20 to 100 times higher.
New Science
"Baby Beluga in the deep blue sea” is born with high levels of flame retardants from California furniture.
A new study found that whales transferred about 11% of their polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) blubber burden to their near-term fetuses.
Mouse Autism from Flame Retardants?
Research found that female mice exposed to a component of penta-PDE flame retardant perinatally showed globally hypo-methylated brains and reduced sociability as adults.
San Antonio Statement
The San Antonio Statement documents health hazards and lack of proven fire safety benefit from the use of brominated and chlorinated flame retardants in consumer products.
Sign on to the San Antonio Statement
View statement, signatories and supplemental material
Chlorinated Tris Listed as a Carcinogen
On October 12th, California’s Carcinogen Identification Committee voted 5-1 to add TDCPP (chlorinated Tris) to the Proposition 65 list of cancer-causing chemicals. Chlorinated Tris, the same chemical removed from use in baby pajamas in 1977 due to concerns about carcinogenicity, is the most commonly used flame retardant in foam in U.S. furniture and baby products, according to recent studies. This action does not ban chlorinated Tris but it will require warning labels on the products that contain it.
“California lists flame retardant as a carcinogen”, LA Times
“Calif. adds flame retardant to list of carcinogens”, Greenwire
Candle Fires in TVs?
Flame retardant manufactures are promoting new “candle” flammability standards for TV enclosures worldwide that would lead to the use of millions of pounds of retardants that threaten human and environmental health and recycling without providing a fire safety benefit.
Read more on the IEC Candle Standard for Electronics project page.
Featured Op-eds
Did the State Kill my Cat? LA Times Op-ed
Flame Retardants are the Asbestos of our Time
The Sacramento Bee Op-ed
Opinion: Sitting Safely and Comfortably in California
Capitol Weekly Op-ed
Mobilizing scientists, industry, government and consumers to reduce toxics
