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Friday, January 13, 2006
Peña: Toxic beds?
By Rox Pena
IN THIS age where environmental and health consciousness are high, experts are uncovering more and more potentially harmful substances in things we ordinarily used everyday. The latest of these "discoveries" are mattresses. If the experts are correct, the bed that provides comfort and gives us sweet dreams may be the cause of our future nightmare.
Studies revealed that there are potentially harmful stuff in our beds, which include chemical flame-retardants that are reaching high levels in the environment and people's bodies, pesticides, dyes and polyurethane foam. Even the ordinary steel coils, which are essential part of the bed, are said to be affecting our sleep.
According to the website www.care2.com, a study was made by the Anderson Laboratories on six brands of crib-sized waterproof mattresses. All were found to emit toxic fumes in various degrees, and some caused acute toxicity to the respiratory tract of male mice.
Five of the mattress covers were made of polyvinyl chloride covered with cotton and/or polyester layers. The remaining cover was made up of polyolefin. Chemical emissions included suspected carcinogens. In 66 experiments, 88 mice were exposed to the emissions of one of the six mattress covers, and in all 66 experiments some toxic effects were found in the mice.
As for the steel coils, some believe that metal in box springs become magnetized when in the presence of a room's normal electricity, and radiates its own field that distorts the earth's natural radiation, making sleep less restful. Sounds strange.
The only bad experience I had with metal springs is when a sharp object protruding in my bed awakened me. It turned out to be a broken spring.
The "radiation" thing may be hard to believe but nonetheless, there are now companies in other countries that offer mattresses free of metal springs.
Just like food where the trend is towards organic and natural, mattresses with natural and organic materials are now coming out of the market.
Here are some examples (also from www.care2.com).
* Organic wool mattresses - wool is an excellent choice of mattress because it can absorb and release water. It is naturally dust-fire-mite-and mold- resistant and resilient. Buying an organic wool mattress is important because most sheep are regularly dipped with pesticides to control parasites;
* Organic cotton mattresses - organic cotton mattresses are much preferable to non-organic because of the heavy pesticides used in the cotton industry. In another article I read in the "Ideal Bite", it says that cotton crops account for as much as 25 percent of the world's insecticide use, and seven of the top 15 pesticides used in cotton are classified as possible or probable human carcinogens. Under federal law, cotton used in mattresses should be treated with a fire retardant. In most cases, this is boric acid, which does not release vapors and is considered nontoxic.
Note that organic cotton can have a strong smell that some find distasteful; and
* Pure natural latex mattresses - Natural latex mattresses are a new product in the natural bedding industry. Pure latex bedding is resistant to mold, bacteria and dust mites, and is fire resistant. Make sure that the natural latex mattress is not a blend containing anything but pure latex. Latex allergies are a serious problem for some people.
We're going back to the basics. Back to Mother Nature. I wonder what's next - organic pillow, natural blanket, and organic bed sheets...
(January 13, 2006 issue)
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