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National fireproof bed regulation passed, Flameproof mattresses proven to give daily dose of poisons

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Doctors including Osteopaths and Chiropractors can prescribe clean beds free of toxic chemicals under new law

New Government Risk Assessment proves conclusively that flameproof mattresses contain acutely toxic and cancer causing chemicals. It also proves conclusively, that these chemicals leach through our sheets and are absorbed by our bodies. This is fact!

The only question remaining is how much poison will we really absorb, and is this safe for everyone?

By assuming, without data, that we will absorb only 2/1,000’s per hour of the chemical that has leached through our mattress and is in contact with our bodies, the government says we will absorb a daily dose of .802 mg Antimony, .081 mg Boric Acid, .073 mg DBDPO, every day for the rest of our lives.

The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) internal report concludes this amount of poison absorption is safe for everyone, except children under age five, who they excluded from their risk assessment by assuming all these children will be protected by a vinyl sheet over their mattresses, due to bedwetting problems. Other research proves Antimony leaches through vinyl on mattresses and is linked to SIDS. Crib and youth mattresses must also be flameproof under the law.

Are You Sleeping In Boric Acid Roach Killer Yet?

New Law Requires you sleep in Boric Acid plus Antimony for your one in one million mattress fire risk

The independent review, required by law, complained repeatedly the CPSC assumptions of safe levels of toxin absorptions do not agree with other agencies. The EPA safe level for Antimony is 5,750 times less than the CPSC assumption. If you use the EPA number in CPSC safety factor calculations it proves mattress toxic by 27.5 times.

The innerspring mattress industry went to the CPSC and asked for and pushed for this law. While publicly saying they want to save lives the past president of the number two mattress maker was quoted on the issue: “The industry’s base will be higher. People will pay more for bedding. In the final analysis, it will be a benefit.” “He also predicted the addition of fire-resistant materials would boost the industry’s flagship brands because it would reduce the price gap between promotional models and the beginning of the flagship lines.” It will hurt small business, help big business, and they will make more money.

Even before the national flameproof mattress regulation passed, All new mattresses sold in California and over half and growing sold nationwide have contained toxins to meet the law. There are no labeling requirements of the chemicals in beds. Mattress makers are under no obligation to tell the truth. They all claim they don’t use chemicals or say their systems are nontoxic. The CPSC Table 1 of chemicals used proves these statements wrong. There are no chemical free and safe systems.

There can be two pounds of poison in the surface of your mattress. All the Boric Acid systems also contain Antimony. Other systems include Formaldehyde, Silicon, or Ammonium Polyphosphate, but these were not studied. The CPSC did prove Ammonium Polyphosphate leaches from mattresses in large quantities. It is doubtful our children absorbing this fertilizer will grow any better.

Quote from College Chemistry Textbook:  “Antimony resembles Arsenic very closely, the difference in its behavior being almost entirely accounted for by the fact that antimony is slightly more metallic.” Antimony is a heavy metal like Lead and Mercury. Quotes from the CDC on Antimony: “Failure to conceive, an increase in the number of spontaneous abortions, may cause heart to beat irregularly or stop. Chronic Exposure: Prolonged or repeated exposure may damage the liver and the heart muscle." "Antimony tends to accumulate in the liver and gastrointestinal tract.” The CDC cannot determine a safe level of Antimony exposure because: “At the lowest exposure levels tested, the adversity of the effects was considered to be serious.” When pressed by the reviewer on cancer risks of Antimony, even the CPSC admits: “The cancer effects are cumulative. Every exposure contributes to the overall lifetime risk of developing cancer.”

Over a pound of Boric Acid exists as loose dust simply mixed with cotton fibers in flameproof mattresses. It is a known respiratory irritant, also used as Roach Killer, is a known reproductive and developmental toxin, “Demonstrated injury to the gonads and to the developing fetus.” “High prenatal mortality. Neonatal children are unusually susceptible.” One human chronic exposure study showed reduced sexual activity and sperm counts. There are already 6,463 U.S. cases of Boric Acid poisoning each year.

DBDPO, Deca, is in the family of PBDE’s being found in women’s breast milk, is known to bioaccumulate, and is linked to cancer.

The CPSC hopes to save up to 270 people annually after all existing mattresses are replaced. With 300 million people in the U.S. this puts you mattress fire risk at less than one in 1.111 million. The CPSC is passing another law for upholstered furniture, and still another for our top of the bed items including: mattress pads, comforters, bedspreads, and pillows, which will require the same chemicals.

Mark Strobel, a mattress manufacturer, has led the fight against this law. He visited the California capitol and lobbied against the state law. He put up the website and started the group People For Clean Beds, and generated 800 public and doctor comments sent to the CPSC against the national law, and got some news for the issue including the Washington Post, where Serta admitted using chemicals including Boric Acid.

Doctor comments include: “I know many chemically sensitive people who do not tolerate treated mattresses. And how many are intolerant who don't know why they can't sleep or feel bad?” Lawrence A. Plumlee,  MD, “After doing my own literature research it is quite incredible that law makers are willing to risk the health of thousands [hundreds of millions] of people. According to available scientific data it is NOT clear whether the levels of chemicals one is exposed to on a chronic basis by sleeping on treated mattresses is safe, especially for children and pregnant women. I have yet to find a single scientific study that supports the use of these chemical in mattresses and labels them as "safe". Margot Mayer-Proschel, PhD [Medical School Professor and researcher in neurotoxicology], “It is my personal opinion, as a Physician, that, if we have doubts regarding the effects of any particular substances to human body, we cannot put anybody in that particular risk, this is ethically unacceptable.” Jesus R. Marante, MD

The new risk in our modern world is our exposure to toxic substances. The National Safety Council says 17,550 people die each year from “Accidental poisoning by and exposure to noxious substances," this number now exceeds deaths in car accidents.

Only 38 days after completion of their flawed internal risk assessment, CPSC Commissioners voted 3-0 to enact the national law on 2-16-06. Mattresses must withstand a blowtorch open flame two feet wide for 70 seconds and not ignite for 30 minutes, which requires a lot of chemical. This is the first major rule, one that impacts the economy by more than 100 million dollars annually, ever passed in the agency’s history. Indeed, it will cost consumers over 1 billion annually. It’s no wonder the innerspring mattress industry pushed for this law. It is fully effective 7-1-07, but already most new mattresses contain toxins. There are no labeling requirements, and many manufacturers make no claims of their beds being fireproof. Thus, it is impossible to know if you are getting a clean bed. Fortunately, the law allows Doctors including Osteopaths and Chiropractors to prescribe clean beds free of toxic chemicals.

Having lost stopping the law Strobel wants to save as many people as possible from this exposure risk. He now offers Prescription Beds free of toxic chemicals through www.PrescriptionBeds.com, where you can learn more on the issue, and also vote and leave your comments. If you don’t have a regular doctor, they can arrange a doctor to write a prescription for you for a clean bed. Strobel’s clean beds are also available through dealers and doctors including Osteopaths and Chiropractors. Strobel has many Patents and offers a full line of great mattresses, including crib size, and adjustable beds, plus pads and pillows. Many mattresses include his Patented “Lever Support System” which conforms to the shape of the spine giving Proven Best Back Support, 90% Less Tossing and Turning, and Clinically Proven Better Sleep. Call Strobel at 800-457-6442 for a free information package on products and chemical risks. Close chronic toxin exposure in mattresses for the rest of our and our children’s lives is a serious risk. You may wish to make your next mattress a prescription bed, and tell your friends and family about this new risk.

Mark Strobel
President, Strobel Technologies, www.Strobel.com, www.PrescriptionBeds.com
 
Director, People For Clean Beds, www.PeopleForCleanBeds.org

Phone: 812-282-4388
Fax: 812-282-6528
Email: Mark@Strobel.com

Address: 3131 Industrial Parkway, Jeffersonville IN  47130

Article References

The government says we will absorb a daily dose of .802 mg Antimony, .081 mg Boric Acid, .073 mg DBDPO. (Table 16, p 45)

Children excluded from risk assessment by assuming all will sleep on vinyl sheet. P. 61

“The cancer effects are cumulative. Every exposure contributes to the overall lifetime risk of developing cancer.” P. 64

“As with any risk assessment, there are assumptions, limitations, and sources of uncertainty. … it should be noted that percutaneous [skin] absorption data were not available for antimony.” P 40. They assume skin absorption for Antimony to be .002, 2/1,000’s, and .00009, 9/100,000’s Boric Acid, per hour of the chemical that has leached through the mattress and is in contact with our bodies. Table 8, p 27.

See the CPSC Risk Assessment at: http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia06/brief/matttabd.pdf

Antimony proven to leach through vinyl on mattresses and linked to SIDS
http://www.peopleforcleanbeds.org/Antimony-SIDS.htm
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/arn/het/1998/00000017/00000003/0900525a

There are no chemical free and safe systems. See CPSC Table 1 showing the percentage of Known Toxic Chemicals contained in various mattress flame barrier systems at: Tab H, p 17 http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia06/brief/matttabh.pdf
http://www.peopleforcleanbeds.org/final-vote.htm#which_chemicals

Mattress Industry Quote: “The industry’s base will be higher,” he told me. “People will pay more for bedding. In the final analysis, it will be a benefit.”   “He also predicted the addition of fire-resistant materials would boost the industry’s flagship brands because it would reduce the price gap between promotional models and the beginning of the flagship lines.” 3-1-06

http://www.furnituretoday.com/blog/390000039/post/1880002788.html

Mattresses Toxic by 27.5 Times: -EPA Safe Level for Antimony at low confidence, 4E-4 is .0004, 4/10,000’s mg/kg/day: http://www.epa.gov/iris/subst/0006.htm, http://www.peopleforcleanbeds.org/cdc-doctor.htm

CDC Quotes on Antimony Risks: “Death was observed in rabbits following a single [dermal] application of Antimony. p 22 … Two out of four rabbits died after 6-8 topical applications of antimony trioxide paste. The antimony trioxide was combined with a mixture formulated to resemble acidic sweat.”
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp23-c2.pdf  http://www.peopleforcleanbeds.org/antimony-risks.htm
http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/englishhtml/a7236.htm

Quotes on Boric Acid Risks:
  http://www.epa.gov/iris/toxreviews/0410-tr.pdf , http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp26-c2.pdf 
www.jtbaker.com/msds/englishhtml/b3696.htm 

The American Association of Poison Control Centers reports an average of 6,463 cases of Boric Acid Poisoning each year. http://www.peopleforcleanbeds.org/sucking_test.htm#The_American_Association
http://www.aapcc.org/Annual%20Reports/03report/Annual%20Report%202003.pdf

The National Safety Council says 17,550 people die each year from “Accidental poisoning by and exposure to noxious substances," this number now exceeds deaths in car accidents.

http://www.peopleforcleanbeds.org/odds_of_dying.htm, http://www.nsc.org/lrs/statinfo/odds.htm

Master list of CPSC briefing packages: http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia06/brief/briefing.html

See a more detailed discussion of the problems with the CPSC Risk Assessment of Flameproof Mattresses at: http://www.peopleforcleanbeds.org/CPSC-Letter-risk.htm