Scientists are calling on mattress manufacturers to take action following two complimentary studies that found children are being exposed to high levels of semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) while sleeping.
SVOCs are chemicals that have a lower vapour pressure than volatile organic compounds (VOCs), meaning they evaporate more slowly and can linger longer in indoor environments.
The team from the University of Toronto studied the sleeping microenvironment (SME) of children, in which they can spend up to 18 hours a day. This environment includes bedding materials such as mattresses and pillows, toys, and the surrounding air within the child’s cot or mattress area.
The sort of materials commonly found in this area will contain a variety of SVOCs such as plasticisers (used to make plastic softer and more flexible), stain repellents and flame retardants.
These SVOCs aren’t chemically bonded to the materials they’re added to, so they naturally move into the air, dust, clothing, skin, and nearby surfaces such as toys.
The first of the two studies measured chemical concentrations in the bedrooms of 25 children aged between 6 months and four years. The second involved testing 16 brand new, lower-cost children’s mattresses bought in Canada.
The first study detected what they describe as ‘concerning’ levels of more than two dozen plasticisers, flame retardants, and UV-filters in bedroom air, with levels highest closest to the cot. The second study established that the mattresses were the primary source of these chemicals.
It was also found that when simulating the heat (37.5 °C) and weight (7.5 kg) of a child, emissions of these chemicals increased dramatically. Heat in particular was a cause of increased emissions.
The chemicals in question are linked to learning disorders, reduced IQ scores, behavioral problems and impaired memory. Other are also linked to childhood asthma and cancer.
Senior author Miriam Diamond, professor at the University of Toronto said: ‘Sleep is vital for brain development, particularly for infants and toddlers. However, our research suggests that many mattresses contain chemicals that can harm kids’ brains. This is a wake-up call for manufacturers and policymakers to ensure our children’s beds are safe and support healthy brain development.’
Co-author Arlene Blum, Executive Director of the Green Science Policy Institute added: ‘Parents should be able to lay their children down for sleep knowing they are safe and snug. Flame retardants have a long history of harming our children’s cognitive function and ability to learn. It’s concerning that these chemicals are still being found in children’s mattresses even though we know they have no proven fire-safety benefit, and aren’t needed to comply with flammability standards.’
The full research can be read here.
Image: University of Toronto
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