Many chemicals used in furniture cushions today have proven negative effects on health. Flame retardants such as PBDE’s (polybrominated diphenyl ethers in use until 2004), boric acid and antimony are highly toxic. Potent insecticides are often sprayed on materials. If you hear that a mattress or cushions have been “treated for dust mites”, that means the materials have been sprayed or were soaked in an insecticide solution.

Other common mattress additives such as formaldehyde, TDI (toluene di-isocyanate), styrene, butadiene, and other petroleum derivatives may have worrisome long-term effects, particularly on the developing brains of children. 

PBDE's can create potentially more toxic substances when they burn, including a form of dioxin, a deadly carcinogen.

According to “Respiratory Toxicity of Mattress Emissions in Mice” (Archives of Environmental Health, January 2000), synthetic mattresses emit a variety of toxic chemicals, including styrene, isopropylbenzene, nitrobenzene, 1-methyl-2-ethylbenzene, 1,3-dichlorobenzene and others. The latest concern about chemicals in synthetic mattresses are the fire retardants PBDEs. PBDEs belong to a group of brominated flame retardants. Because PBDEs can account for up 30 percent of the foam’s weight, and they are not bound to the material, much of it can escape from foam mattresses as household dust. The long-term effect of exposure to PBDEs is still unknown. 

I am often asked, How do you make a non-toxic sofa cushion?  Is it made from natural latex rubber, organic wool and coconut coir?  The answer is yes it can be made from all natural fibers and it is not difficult.  You just need to know how to do it.