After a major victory last year to remove lead and other toxic chemicals from children’s toys, Maryland PIRG has redoubled its efforts to protect children’s health by eliminating toxic chemicals from consumer products.

This winter, our staff will push for a Deca BDE phase-out from household items sold in Maryland. Deca BDE is a toxic chemical added to plastics and synthetic fibers for its fire-resistant properties.


A Threat To Children
Research suggests that Deca BDE can cause hyperactivity and impair learning. It is also linked to birth defects such as skeletal deformities and may even lead to reproductive failure.

In September 2008, we released the results of the first nationwide investigation of toxic chemical fire retardants in parents and their children.

The study, conducted by Environmental Working Group (EWG), suggests that U.S. children ages 1 to 4 years of age bear the heaviest burden of flame retardant pollution in the industrialized world.

Maryland lawmakers banned two related toxic chemicals in 2005. Last year delegate James Hubbard sponsored a bill that would have banned the toxic flame retardant Deca BDE, but pressure from the chemical industry kept the bill from moving forward.

Chemical manufactures formed a front group, Citizens For Fire Safety, that lobbied against the bill. They ran full page newspaper ads and sent fear-mongering postcards to thousands of households.

Maryland PIRG and our allies will work to cut through the industry’s scare tactics and educate lawmakers about the dangers of chemical exposure and the availability of non-toxic alternatives.