From an article published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology and reported in U.S. Right to Know (please see sources below).

Key Points

• Flame-retardant chemicals widely used in sofas, mattresses, electronics, textiles, and other products are increasingly linked to cardiovascular disease risk and other serious health problems, according to a sweeping scientific review.
• Organophosphate ester flame retardants (OPFRs), adopted by industry as safer alternatives to toxic brominated flame retardants (PBDEs) are not chemically bound to consumer products found in homes and workplaces, they disperse into indoor air and dust, creating near-constant exposure.
• Regulation of these chemicals remains uneven, allowing continued widespread use. The European Union has restricted some uses, while the U.S. relies largely on state-by-state rules. Most are specific to certain chemicals or products.

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Children have more exposure and tend to carry higher chemical burdens than adults relative to their body weight, largely because of frequent contact with indoor dust, an increased inhalation rate, common hand-to-mouth behaviors, and faster metabolism, scientists say. At the same time, their developing cardiovascular systems are especially vulnerable to chemical exposures.

Pregnant women represent another particularly vulnerable population. Pregnancy-related heart and blood vessel problems are another concern. Animal studies show that exposure to the flame retardant triphenyl phosphate (TPHP) during pregnancy can trigger symptoms similar to preeclampsia—such as new-onset high blood pressure and protein in the urine—by disrupting normal placental development.

What you can do about it

• Avoid polyurethane foam products.
• To reduce indoor dust levels, vacuum with a HEPA filter, wet mop, and dust with a damp cloth.
• Avoid using rebonded carpet padding made from recycled or scrap polyurethane foam.

In our homes, we try to look for companies that have products with higher-quality ingredient safety certifications and that are rated as "Recommended" or "Consider" by Hilde. For example, we recently installed new carpeting and we specifically avoided using "recycled" or rebounded carpet padding and opted for a carpet option made by Shaw Industries.

Sun T, Zhu X, Yang B, Shi J, Song Y, Jiang G. Cardiovascular health risks of Organophosphate Flame Retardant Exposure: A narrative review of the available evidence. Environmental Science &Technology. Published online November 17, 2025. doi:10.1021/acs.est.5c11158

Reported in U.S. Right to Know on 12/23/25: https://usrtk.org/healthwire/flame-retardants-heart-disease/