Chemicals In Mattresses

Mattresses are known to release minute amounts of gaseous chemicals called volatile organic compounds vocs.

Chemicals in mattresses. This process occurs when the chemicals used to manufacture the mattress breakdown and are released as gases. There are alternatives to chemical flame retardants. Your mattress could contain a variety of different materials that off gas and some of those vapors carry significant risks to your long term health. For instance wool is able to act as a natural flame retardant but this is more expensive and time consuming to produce and thus not commonly used.

Other chemicals frequently found in memory foam and other synthetic mattresses include formaldehyde benzene and napthalene. This process has been known to cause eye and throat irritation nausea headaches and difficulty breathing. Mattress companies add these chemical flame retardants because it is an inexpensive way to meet federal flammability standards. Most mattresses on the market are full of chemicals that can pollute your bedroom air and harm your body.

These chemicals are released from the mattress material through use by a process called off gassing. For a mattress to qualify for the usda organic seal it needs at least 95 percent certified organic materials and to be processed without potentially harmful chemicals says charlotte. These vocs come mainly from the polyurethane used in the mattress but also from other. Memory foam mattresses are made with polyurethane.