A new study -- the first of its kind -- released Wednesday shows that a small group of people carry in their bodies traces of chemicals in flame retardants that for decades have been used in the manufacturing of furniture and children's products. 
 
 The study, while small, offers the first glimpse of how these chemicals, which have been shown to cause cancer, neurological diseases and developmental disorders, have been absorbed into people's bodies simply by sitting on a couch or breathing in dust, and offers a strategy for state and local bio-monitoring programs to test larger populations, experts say. The better people's exposure to these harmful chemicals can be tracked, advocates say, the better experts can understand how they make people sick, offering more ammunition for legislative change to regulate toxic chemicals. 
 
 The findings also underscore the possible consequences of a California law passed in 1975 that set fire safety standards that effectively required furniture manufacturers to inject flame-retardant chemicals into all upholstered furniture sold in the state for the last 40 years. The bill was revised Jan. 1 to remove the flame retardant requirement, but some experts caution that Californians will be dealing with the public health fallout for several years. 
 
 "We might have been really naive about the health effects of these chemicals," said Dr. Catherine Thomasson, executive director for Physicians for Social Responsibility 
 
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 The study, by Silent Spring Institute, an environmental nonprofit in Massachusetts, and university researchers in Belgium, found traces of a chemical that has been named a carcinogen on the state's Proposition 65 list in 15 out of 16 people from Richmond and Bolinas, who had their urine and homes tested for chemicals in 2011. 
 
 "If you have something that's listed on Proposition 65 as a carcinogen and we're finding it in Californians, that's kind of disconcerting," said Robin Dodson, a research scientist at Silent Spring and the study's lead author. 
 
 The concern, researchers say, is that the chemicals in flame retardants, which are in more than 80 percent of the furniture sold in the state, don't just stay inside the upholstered furniture -- they end up in household dust, are inhaled, and can turn up in a person's urine, blood and breast milk. 
 
 "If you touch something (like a couch), then put food in your month, you've eaten (the chemicals)," Thomasson said. "These flame retardants stay in the fat of people. They don't leave the body very readily." 
 
 And the same chemicals have been linked to disproportionately high incidents of cancer among California firefighters, who are exposed to them when houses burn, as well as to neurological disorders, cardiovascular health effects, obesity and infertility in children and adults, according to research from UC San Francisco, North Carolina State University, physicians organizations and other academic groups. Toddlers are at especially high risk of exposure because they are crawling on the floor, where they have more contact with dust, and put their hands in their mouth. 
 
 Silent Spring researchers worry in particular about the high rates of two chemicals they found -- TCEP and TDCIPP, both on the Proposition 65 list. TDCIPP was banned from children's pajamas in the 1970s after concerns were raised about its effects on children's development, but has since become a staple in couches, carpet padding, sleeping pads and other common household goods. 
 
 "It's having this resurgence," said Connie Engel, the science and education senior manager for San Francisco health advocacy group the Breast Cancer Fund. "If we don't ban a chemical for multiple uses they have a rebirth for different uses, and that is not necessarily smart policymaking." 
 
 TDCIPP was found in 94 percent of people tested and TCEP was found in 75 percent. Researchers also tested the dust in people's homes, and found in many cases that the chemical content increased between 2006 and 2011, the two years they tested. Six homes had a level of TDCIPP that exceeded the level of safe exposure outlined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and four had unsafe levels of TCEP. 
 
 The North American Flame Retardant Alliance, the industry trade group, said flame retardants have an important place in furniture manufacturing. 
 
 "They have been shown to be an important element of a comprehensive fire-safety tool kit," said spokesman Bryan Goodman in a statement. "This particular study, which includes an exceptionally small sample size, does not suggest that the flame retardants mentioned caused any adverse health effects." 
 
 Although the study was small, experts deduced that a study of all Californians would show similar results. Because of the 1975 bill, Californians have had much more exposure to these chemicals than others. A study in 2011 by the Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health showed that Mexican-American children in California had traces of flame retardant chemicals that was seven times higher than their counterparts in Mexico. 
 
 Contact Heather Somerville at 510-208-6413. Follow her at Twitter.com/heathersomervil. 

 A new peer-reviewed study found that people are contaminated with several toxic flame retardants rarely studied in the US, including one that has never before been detected in Americans called TCEP. Scientists tested urine samples of California residents for biomarkers of six chemicals, all of which were present. 
 
 The scientists discovered a way to test for this class of toxic flame retardants (phosphates), which could open up a new wave of research into a group of pervasive flame retardants that were previously not studied nearly as much as some other flame retardants. 
 
 Funded in part by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the study by researchers at Silent Spring Institute and the University of Antwerp was published online today in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Science & Technology. 
 
 "We found that several toxic flame retardants are in people's bodies. When you sit on your couch, you want to relax, not get exposed to chemicals that may cause cancer," said lead author, Robin Dodson, ScD, a scientist with the nonprofit research group Silent Spring Institute. "Some flame retardants have been targeted for phase out, but unfortunately there are others that have largely been under the radar." 
 
 Fortunately, furniture without flame retardants is now available since the State of California recently revised its flammability standard after a public health outcry. The earlier standard resulted in high levels of flame retardants used in upholstered furniture across the country without appreciably improving fire safety. Hopefully levels of the chemicals in people's bodies will decrease as consumers are able to choose flame retardant-free furniture. 
 
 The chemical detected in Americans for the first time, TCEP [tris-(2-chloroethyl) phosphate], is a carcinogen and can also harm people's nervous and reproductive systems. The biomarkers for the chemical were detected in the urine of 75% of the people tested. More than a half a million pounds of TCEP are produced every year for use in polyurethane foam, plastics, polyester resins and textiles. It is listed under California's Proposition 65 as a carcinogen and the European Union has classified it as a "Substance of Very High Concern." 
 
 Another carcinogenic chemical detected in the study is similar to TCEP, like an "evil cousin," called TDCIPP (chlorinated "tris"). Some had expected that it wouldn't be so prevalent because they thought its production diminished after it was phased out of children's pajamas years ago. Arlene Blum, PhD, Executive Director of the Green Science Policy Institute and Visiting Scholar at UC Berkeley, said, "It is hard to believe that a metabolite of chlorinated tris, the same flame retardant we helped remove from baby pajamas in the 1970s, was found in almost all of the study participants. It is such good news that, thanks to the new flammability standard, such harmful chemicals are no longer needed in our furniture." 
 
 This study adds to a previous analysis of flame retardants in dust samples that were taken from homes of the same people whose urine was tested. The researchers chose to test urine samples for this class of phosphate flame retardants after seeing a high prevalence of them in the dust, and recognizing the dearth of information on this group of chemicals. In the household dust, half of the homes exceeded EPA health guidelines for either TCEP or TDCIPP. 
 
 Another interesting finding from this new study is that the people with the highest level of TCEP and TDCIPP metabolites in their urine live in homes that had the highest quantity of the respective chemical in dust. 
 
 "This study provides more evidence that our homes are a primary source of exposure to toxic flame retardants," said Julia Brody, PhD, Executive Director and Senior Scientist at Silent Spring Institute. 
 
 Tony Stefani, President of the San Francisco Firefighters Cancer Prevention Foundation, said, "It has been proven that flame retardants do not provide the level of protection necessary to save lives and property. We have known how toxic these chemicals are for decades and yet they are still being used. 
 
 "It disturbs me that Californians have cancer-causing flame retardants in their bodies. Another recent study showed San Francisco firefighters had higher flame retardant levels in their blood than the general population of California. We feel that these chemicals are a very large piece of a toxic, complex chemical puzzle we encounter when fighting a fire." 
 
 Brody described some good news that came from the research: "There has been a breakthrough in that we now know what to look for when trying to figure out if someone has these toxic chemicals in their bodies. This should open up future research on several toxic flame retardants that haven't been scrutinized enough before." The study identifies which biomarkers to look for in urine for each chemical to indicate the presence of the contaminant. 
 
 Rachel Gibson, Director of the Safer Chemicals Program at Health Care Without Harm, commented, "We are pleased to see furniture manufacturers taking steps to remove flame retardants from their products, as a result of California's new flammability standard. In support of the Healthier Hospitals Initiative, already five major health systems have pledged to buy furniture without these toxic chemicals." Those systems include Advocate Health Care, Beaumont Health System, Hackensack University Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente, and University Hospitals. 
 
 What Can Consumers Do? In addition to asking companies for flame retardant-free sofas at retailers like IKEA and Williams-Sonoma, which will begin selling these products early next year, consumers can also reduce their risk by cleaning surfaces with a wet cloth or mop and vacuuming with a HEPA filter, as these chemicals are emitted into the air and collect in dust. Consumers can also skip foam padding under carpets or request padding without flame retardants. People should also throw away foam that is deteriorating, as it likely sheds even more of the chemicals. 
 
 Senator Schumer recently introduced the Children and Firefighters Protection Act of 2014 (S.2811). The bill prohibits use of 10 designated flame retardants, including the three chlorinated phosphate flame retardants found in this study, in children's products and upholstered furniture. 
 
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 The study was funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, The New York Community Trust, the Fine Fund, and Art beCAUSE Breast Cancer Foundation. 
 
 ATTENTION REPORTERS: More details, including tips for reducing exposure, are available. Scientists involved in the study and others who can comment on it are available for interviews. 

 For the first time in decades, furniture free of toxic flame retardants is becoming widely available to consumers. That’s because what’s become the de facto national standard for flame resistance in furniture has changed after a public outcry. 
 
 Still, consumers will need to request furniture that’s completely free of chemical flame retardants at the many retailers offering it, such as IKEA and Williams-Sonoma. 
 
 A new peer-reviewed study we conducted, funded in part by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), provides even more evidence that it’s worth it for consumers to do so. We’ve long known about the presence in people of certain flame retardants, such PBDEs, but our concern about contamination from a broader number of the chemicals has been confirmed. 
 
 We tested urine samples of California residents for biomarkers of six chemicals that have been rarely studied in the US, and we found all of them. This was the first time the known carcinogen, TCEP, was detected in Americans. 
 
 Along with collaborating scientists at the University of Antwerp in Belgium, we developed a way to test for this class of toxic flame retardants (phosphates), which could open up a new wave of research into this group of pervasive flame retardants. 
 
 How to reduce exposure: 
 
 Ask for flame-retardant free furniture. 
 
 Go natural. Choose flame-resistant materials without chemical additives such as wool, polyester, and down. 
 
 If it’s ripped, fix it. Make sure foam is not exposed in furniture. 
 
 Get rid of dust. Vacuum regularly with a HEPA filter. Wipe surfaces with wet cloth or mop. 
 
 Wash hands frequently, especially before eating. It reduces the amount of flame retardants that enter our bodies. 
 
 Buy snug pajamas for children. Look for the tag that says to wear snug fitting pajamas because they are not flame resistant. 
 
 Get involved. The Children and Firefighters Protection Act (S. 2811) would ban 10 flame retardants. To learn more, visit Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families. 
 
 Resources 
 
 Article: Urinary Biomonitoring of Phosphate Flame Retardants: Levels in California Adults and Recommendations for Future Studies 
 
 Fact Sheet: Carcinogenic Flame Retardants Measured in People 
 
 Press Release: A Previously Unrecognized Flame Retardant Found in Americans for the First Time 
 
 Tips to Reduce Exposures to Toxic Flame Retardants 
 
 The study, which appeared in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Science & Technology, was funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, The New York Community Trust, the Fine Fund, and Art beCAUSE Breast Cancer Foundation.
– Much of the furniture in your home is likely coated in flame retardants—and it turns out those same flame retardants may be making themselves at home in our bodies. The Silent Spring Institute, working in tandem with Belgian researchers, tested 16 Californians for biomarkers of six flame-retardant chemicals using urine samples. Though the study, published yesterday in Environmental Science & Technology, was small, "we found all of them," the researchers say in a statement. "All" includes carcinogens TDCIPP (which was banned in kids' PJs decades ago but is still used in couches) and TCEP; the latter had never been found in Americans before and was present in 75% of the subjects. The chemicals—which have been linked to cancer and neurological and developmental disorders—may have been absorbed, in part, by breathing in dust. A test of the dust found in the participants' homes revealed half those homes exceeded EPA health guidelines for TCEP or TDCIPP, Eureka Alert reports. A doctor not associated with the study tells the the San Jose Mercury News, "If you touch [a couch], then put food in your [mouth], you've eaten [the chemicals]. These flame retardants stay in the fat of people. They don't leave the body very readily." Researchers recommend requesting flame retardant-free furniture, cleaning surfaces with a wet cloth, and vacuuming with a HEPA filter. A rep for the North American Flame Retardant Alliance maintains the study "does not suggest that the flame retardants mentioned caused any adverse health effects." (Read a case for why we should change how flame retardants are regulated.)