Sofas Classed as Hazardous Due to Thyroid Disruptors

[jimh111]

I came across this in an advert for skip hire: -

A list of items we don't accept as follows:

● Sofas this is due to the fire retardant coating now being classified as hazardous !

● Asbestos !

● Fridges !

● Only a maximum of one matteress per skip accepted anymore will be removed !

● Gas Cylinders!

● Paint, Empty tins are fine just not full please !

Until 2004 soft furnishings contained polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) which are endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) also referred to as persistent organic pollutants (POPs). PBDEs are structually similar to T3 and disrupt T3 binding to receptors in peripheral tissues - but not in the pituitary. Hence there can be hypothyroidism with no effect on the pituitary - blood tests are normal. I was serverly hypothyroid due to this but I don't know why I am affected and not others.

The manufacture of PBDEs was banned in 2004 but they will have been around longer as stocks got used up. PBDEs are used to flame proof soft furnishings especially the light yellow foam used in furniture and foam-backed carpet. It is easily recycled by chopping it up and resticking it together in new furniture. This went on for several years and was the main way organisations met recycling targets. Eventually it was realised recycling toxins is not a good idea.

Polyurethane foam used to contain up to 40% PBDEs. We struggle to get a prescription for 10 µg liothyronine but anyone could buy a sofa (or armchair) with many kilograms of equally potent T3 disruptors which are ingested by dermal contact or inhalation.

In cats PBDEs cause hyperthyroidism factor.niehs.nih.gov/2019/9... . In humans they cause hypothyroidism ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl... (it many years since I read this paper). PBDEs have little effect on serum thyroid hormone levels so the increased incidence reported in this paper will probably come from those patients who just happen to have a raised TSH when reporting hypothyroid symptoms. Many others will be missed because their blood tests are normal.

In December 2022 the UK Government changed the rules for disposing of 'domestic seating': -

Dispose of waste domestic seating containing POPs

You must incinerate waste domestic seating containing POPs or mixed waste containing it.

The municipal or hazardous waste incinerator (or cement kiln) must be authorised to accept POPs waste.

You must not use any other waste treatment, recycling or disposal methods.

See gov.uk/guidance/manage-wast... .

Workers at the local tip have a wider knoweledge of hypothyroidism than endocrinologists.

[helvella Administrator]

What happens to the bromine when these products are incinerated?

(Sorry - obviously shouldn't ask this sort of pertinent question. )

[jimh111 in reply to helvella]

Probably oxidised but in truth I don't know. It's not the elements that's the problem but the molecules. PBDEs contain halogens (bromine) and have a very similar structure to T3 (which has the halogen iodine). BDE structure is so similar it can disrupt T3 binding to some receptors and preferentially binds to TTR which is the main T3 transporter in the CSF.

[helvella Administrator in reply to jimh111]

Though the USA has (finally) decided to scrap brominated vegetable oil (used in soft drinks) and even reduced use of bromination of flour as a flour 'improver'.

I'm just concerned at the possibility of free bromine or some organic bromine compounds simply getting burned off (more boiled than burned if being literal). There's already lots of unpleasant stuff in cement as well as produced in its manufacture.

[jimh111 in reply to helvella]

The incinerators used have to be authorised for this type of work, I hope they are doing a good job and don't chuck stuff into the atmosphere.There are doubts about how effective these fire retardants are. After all if they really worked yoy wouldn't be able to burn them!

[JenniferW in reply to jimh111]

I think fire retardant just meant didn't go up in flames instantly, rather than fireproof. I vaguely remember seeing fire safety films from childhood showing settees catching fire with scary ease.

[jimh111 in reply to JenniferW]

Yes, Ester Rantzen is to blame, she had a campaign to introduce flame retardants into sofas. Lots of videos of them going up in flames mainly because traditional springs and hair were replaced with highly flammable foam. If you don't set fire to them the old sofas were fine.Unfortunately the use of flame retardants has caused more harm than good. Although they reduce flames they give off poisoness substances such as dioxins creating problems for the fire service. This is in addition to their endocrine disrupting effects which endocrinologists ignore.

[RedApple Administrator in reply to jimh111]

jimh111 'Ester Rantzen is to blame'

If she knew then what we know now, I'm sure she wouldn't have!

[J972]

Extremely interesting, thanks for posting 🙏