A study released by The Ecology Research Center on Wednesday, August 3, found that 60 percent of children’s car seats contain toxins such as bromine and chlorine. The research center used X-ray Flourescence (XRF) scanners to test over 150 car seats identifying their chemical composition. The center says the test is limited in that it cannot determine if the chemical is inside the product or exists on the surface. Sixty percent tested positive for at least one of the chemicals.
The presence alone of bromine and chlorine does not mean they are present at toxic levels, though children chew on seats and put their hands in their mouth possibly ingesting the elements. Foam, plastic and fabric also sit in very hot cars in Florida which encourages the chemicals to off-gas. A new car seat is also more likely to leach its components into the air.
Of course, not using a car seat is not an option in Florida, which has a mandatory primary seat belt law. Every child is required to be strapped in whether in the front or the back, though children are definitely safer in the back of the car. Do not put children in the front when they are small as the force of an exploding air bag could cause serious injury.
The Ecology Center, in Ann Arbor, Michigan reports that bromine is associated with flame retardants and chlorine indicates the presence of polyvinyl chloride, or the plasticizer, PVC, which is an endocrine disrupter. These chemicals are linked to allergies, impaired learning, liver toxicity, cancer and birth defects, according to The Ecology Center in issuing its report, and they are particularly hazardous to little bodies that are still growing. For the most toxic car seats, visit http://www.ecocenter.org/press-release/2011/hazardous-flame-retardants-and-chemical-additives-found-60-percent-2011-child-car.
Source: http://news.consumerreports.org/safety/2011/08/report-60-percent-of-childrens-car-seats-contain-toxic-chemicals.html?EXTKEY=NS0S01108
