Can brominated flame retardants in your home disrupt your thyroid?

What's actually in it

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are sprayed on or mixed into foam cushions, carpet padding, curtains, mattresses, and electronics casings. Common types include PBDEs, TBBPA, and HBCD. These chemicals escape from products into household dust over time.

BFRs look a lot like thyroid hormones at the molecular level. The bromine atoms in BFRs sit in the same positions as the iodine atoms in T3 and T4, your body's main thyroid hormones. This structural similarity is what makes them so disruptive.

What the research says

A 2026 study in Environ Health Perspect examined how BFR exposure affects thyroid function. The findings show interference at multiple levels of the thyroid system.

BFRs bind to thyroid hormone transport proteins in the blood, displacing real thyroid hormones and reducing the amount that reaches target organs. They also interfere with thyroid hormone receptors in cells, blocking or mimicking the hormone's signal.

Some BFRs inhibit the enzyme deiodinase, which converts the inactive thyroid hormone T4 into the active form T3. With less T3 available, you may feel fatigued, gain weight, or think more slowly, classic signs of low thyroid function.

The effects were most concerning for pregnant women and young children, whose brains depend on proper thyroid hormone levels for development. Children in homes with higher dust BFR levels showed the strongest associations with altered thyroid markers.

Vacuum often with a HEPA filter to reduce BFR-laden dust. Replace old foam furniture made before 2015, and avoid tearing or breaking foam that may release flame retardant particles.