Flame retardants save lives
In "Home Sick Home"
[September], professor Timothy Buckley
incorrectly notes that brominated flame retardants are used to
treat clothing. To the best of our knowledge, these products have
never been used to treat clothing of any type. Brominated flame
retardants help save lives and reduce property damage by delaying
ignition and slowing flame spread. Escape time can be increased
as much as 15 times by their use--[important, considering] that
thousands of people die in fires in the U.S. each year, and
upholstered furniture fires are the leading cause of fire deaths.
Moreover, two flame-retardants, used primarily in upholstery
textiles, were reviewed recently by the National Academy of
Sciences and found not to pose a hazard to consumers.
Courtney M. Price/HCS
American Chemistry Council
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