Flame Retardants in Furniture Lower Kids' IQ
NonToxCo Research
Science & Safety Team · 5/5/2026
The flame retardants in your couch and mattress are lowering your child's IQ. That's the finding from a 2026 study that tracked 375 kids from before birth to age 3.
What's actually in it
Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are flame retardants and plasticizers added to electronics, foam furniture, building materials, and textiles. They replaced older brominated flame retardants (PBDEs) after those were banned — but OPEs have their own problems.
Unlike chemicals that bond to materials, OPEs migrate. They off-gas from foam and accumulate in house dust. You breathe them. Your skin absorbs them from surfaces. Pregnant women get exposed this way continuously, and the chemicals cross the placenta.
What the research says
A 2026 study in Environ Res measured OPE metabolites in urine from 375 pregnant women during their second and third trimesters, then again when their children were one year old. At age 3, trained neuropsychologists tested the children's IQ.
Higher prenatal OPE exposure linked to lower scores — particularly for verbal and non-verbal reasoning. The compounds found were TPHP, TCIPP, and BDCIPP, all commonly found in home furniture and building materials sold in the US and Europe.
You can't eliminate all exposure, but you can cut it significantly. Vacuum with a HEPA filter. Wash hands before meals. Choose furniture certified to be free of flame retardants. See non-toxic home essentials for safer options.
Also see non-toxic kitchen essentials for safer alternatives.