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Spring brings a reminder to check the batteries in all home smoke alarms.  This is also an opportunity to remind people that fabrics will burn when exposed to a flame.  For more information about how fabrics burn, we have our burn test for Fabric Identification.  

There are many regulations regarding textiles for children’s clothing as well as home textiles.  However, studies are now showing that some of the flame-retardant chemicals pose a health risk.  Health Risks from Flame–Retardant Chemicals Exposed

articles.mercola.com2/12/13

Toxic flame–retardant chemicals (polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs) are widely used in foam furniture cushions, carpets, textiles, foam insulation, children’s products and more, despite research showing they may …

Entering the market now is Organic Furniture Flame retardant-free furniture rare, costly – San Francisco Chronicle

news.google.com

San Francisco ChronicleFlame retardant-free furniture rare, costlySan Francisco ChronicleScientists have linked the flame retardants to health hazards such as infertility, developmental delays, lowered IQs in children and cancer, and studies show the …

Maybe it is time to exit the world of unintended consequences created by fixing one problem without considering the consequences of the “fix”?   Common sense tells us that protecting adults from themselves isn’t always the best answer.   We could teach ourselves and our children to be careful with flame and fire because all fabrics will ignite.  There are textiles that are inherently flame resistant and there is new research in nanotechnology.  Grunlan’s fire–resistant coating research featured in Textile World …

engineering.tamu.edu12/21/12

Dr. Jaime Grunlan’s research into fire–resistant materials is featured in the November/December 2012 issue of Textile World magazine, a leading publication in the textiles industry. The article highlights Grunlan’s development …

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