For four decades, California's Technical Bulletin 117 (TB117) required that the foam in upholstered furniture resist an open flame for 12 seconds. Because California is the largest consumer market in the US, most furniture manufacturers complied nationally. The only practical way to meet this standard with polyurethane foam was to add large quantities of chemical flame retardants. Millions of sofas, chairs and mattresses sold before 2015 contain these chemicals. Many are still in homes today.
The history of TB117
TB117 was introduced in 1975 as a response to residential fire statistics. Its stated aim was to reduce deaths from furniture fires. An investigation by the Chicago Tribune in 2012 revealed that the standard had been significantly influenced by the tobacco and chemical industries, which had collaborated to shift attention from cigarette-ignition fires to furniture flammability, diverting regulation away from cigarettes and towards chemical treatments of furniture. The standard was revised in 2013 to TB117-2013, which removed the open-flame test and replaced it with a smoulder test that most natural materials pass without chemical treatment. Furniture made to the original standard is still present in the majority of American homes.
What chemicals are in pre-2015 furniture
The most common flame retardant compounds used in pre-2015 upholstered furniture foam include chlorinated Tris (TDCPP), which California has listed as a carcinogen; polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), banned since 2004 but still present in older furniture; pentaBDE and decaBDE mixtures; antimony trioxide; and various organophosphate flame retardants that replaced PBDEs. These chemicals are not chemically bound to the foam. They migrate out continuously over the life of the product into house dust, where they are ingested by toddlers through normal hand-to-mouth behaviour.
Health effects of flame retardant exposure
PBDEs are persistent bioaccumulating toxins detected in human breast milk, blood and fatty tissue. They disrupt thyroid hormone function, affect neurodevelopment, and are associated with reduced IQ in children with higher prenatal exposure. TDCPP is a probable carcinogen detected in the urine of virtually all Americans tested in biomonitoring studies, at levels that correlate with the age and type of furniture in the home. Organophosphate flame retardants are neurotoxic and some are endocrine disruptors. They are now found at higher concentrations in human blood as they replace PBDEs following the ban.
How to check your existing furniture
Pre-2015 upholstered furniture almost certainly contains flame retardants. Check by looking at the label sewn to the underside of seat cushions or to the furniture frame. Labels referencing TB117 (without -2013) indicate compliance with the original open-flame standard and likely contain chemical flame retardants. Labels referencing TB117-2013 may use natural flame-resistant materials. HEPA vacuuming regularly, particularly around furniture seams and cushion edges, reduces ingestion of flame retardant particles in house dust.
Buying new furniture safely
Look for GREENGUARD Gold certification
GREENGUARD Gold certifies that furniture meets strict chemical emission limits. Several furniture manufacturers including Crate and Barrel, Room and Board, and West Elm offer GREENGUARD Gold certified pieces.
Ask specifically about flame retardants
Ask the manufacturer or retailer directly: does this furniture contain added flame retardant chemicals? A growing number of manufacturers advertise as flame-retardant-free and back this claim with testing data.
Choose natural materials where possible
Wool upholstery and solid wood frames are naturally resistant to ignition and do not require chemical treatments to meet current standards. Wool furniture is increasingly available at mainstream price points.