9.2 Blog: Six Chemical Classes

Watching the Six Classes of Chemicals video was really helpful to understand the different chemicals we are exposed to in our daily products. I chose to learn more about the flame retardants in our furniture and household accessories. I was surprised to hear that flame retardants not only merely delay fires from starting by a few seconds, but also lead to more noxious gasses and fire damage. The main risk for death in a fire is suffocation or lung damage from the smoke and the comparison of the chairs on fire showed the flame retardant-treated chair let off much more smoke. It's so sad because I know that's what happens in California when fires start in houses. So not only are residents at higher risk for having these chemicals in our furniture, but we are also putting fire fighters at more risk by exposing them to these products and their fumes.