Santa Cruz Sentinel, October 19, 2008
By, Cassandra Brooks
Excerpt: California residents have twice the level of flame retardant chemicals in their blood and 10 times as much in their homes as the rest of the nation, according to new research.
Thirty years ago, California raised its flame retardant standards with safety in mind. The widespread use of flame retardant chemicals known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs, followed. But there was an unintended consequence: elevated levels of PBDEs in people's bodies and homes.