Study reveals unsafe levels of toxic chemicals in day care centers

Published November 6, 2012 in Health

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Dropping off little ones at day care can be stressful enough, but a new study measuring a broad spectrum of pollutants in child care centers in California found that the day care experience can actually be toxic.

Formaldehyde, flame retardants, phthalates, volatile organic chemicals, pesticides and more were routinely found in unacceptable levels in the air or floor dust.

“The presumed sources of most if not all of these chemicals are everyday materials and products used to construct, furnish or clean these facilities,” EDF Senior Scientist Richard Denison wrote on the Chemicals and Nanomaterials blog.

Efforts to limit everyone’s exposure to chemicals like formaldehyde have languished in “regulatory review limbo” at the Office of Management and Budget, but reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act is what’s really needed. See more in Denison's Chemicals and Nanomaterials blog post, No way to treat our kids: Formaldehyde, flame retardants and other toxics exceed safe levels in air and dust in day care centers.

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