Do flame retardants in furniture affect thyroid function and ADHD risk in children?

What's actually in it

Halogenated flame retardants, including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), were widely used in furniture foam, mattresses, and electronics before being phased out. But many older products still contain them, and they're still present in house dust from products made before the phase-out. Even newer products may contain replacement halogenated flame retardants.

These chemicals migrate out of foam and electronics continuously and accumulate in house dust. Children on floors have the highest dust exposure. PBDEs are fat-soluble and build up in body fat over time.

What the research says

A 2026 study on halogenated flame retardants, thyroid function biomarkers, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder found that children with higher flame retardant biomarker levels had more disrupted thyroid hormone profiles and higher rates of ADHD diagnosis. The thyroid connection matters because thyroid hormones regulate brain development and attention.

Thyroid disruption from flame retardants during critical developmental windows can have lasting neurological effects. The ADHD link is consistent with decades of research on how thyroid disruption affects attention and executive function in children.

If your furniture is more than 10 years old, it likely contains older PBDE-type flame retardants. Regular HEPA vacuuming, wet mopping, and eventually replacing old furniture with products certified flame-retardant-free (like those with Greenguard Gold) reduces ongoing exposure.