The January 30th issue of The Economist arrived at our house last week. As a rule I don’t read any of the articles in the magazine, and I’m pretty certain the only reason we get the magazine is that I had a bunch of frequent flyer miles that were expiring, and was given an option of transferring some of the miles in for magazine subscriptions.

However, last week there was an article that caught my eye about flame-retardants and fertility. The flame-retardants, known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), are widely used in a number of products- everything from furniture, to textiles, carpeting, electronics, and plastics. They are used to slow the rate of burning, and to lower the risk of ignition.

It turns out that PBDEs may also decrease fertility. A recent study published in Environmental Health Perspectives found that the higher the blood concentrations of PBDEs in the study group of women, the lower the chances of becoming pregnant. Fertility issues are not the only adverse health affects associated with PBDE exposure- neurological damage has been identified in animal studies, along with nervous system damage. So, next time you’re making a mattress purchase, consider shopping at a store like The Clean Bedroom that offers safer, organic mattresses – the variety that don’t have the unwanted added feature of messing with your neurological and reproductive health systems.

For more information about PBDEs:

• Environmental Working Group piece on reducing exposure to PBDEs in your home
• About.com article on Health Effects of PBDEs