Toxins Where Your Baby Sleeps?
When my husband and I shopped for a crib, in 2009, we
were shocked to learn that the government does not adequately regulate
some aspects of the safety of cribs. The government is obviously making
efforts to regulate the structural aspects of cribs so that children
will no longer become trapped under drop rails and such, thank goodness.
However, despite much scientific evidence that off-gassing of chemicals
known as volitile organic compounds (VOCs), from furniture, plays a
part in the development of disorders such as asthma, cancer, immune
dysfunction, and infertility (
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7),
the government has not issued regulations in this arena. Furthermore,
the current federal limits regarding heavy metals, such as lead,
cadmium, and bromine, in coatings on children’s furniture are considered
too permissive by experts. California and Illinois have taken the
initiative to legislate a lower levels for lead for their states, but
until all states or the federal government follow suit it is up to
parents to protect our children the best we can.
What are VOCs?
According to the Environmental Protection Agency's
"Introduction to Indoor Air-Quality,"
the term "VOCs" refers to a wide range of chemicals that are emitted as
gases from certain solids or liquids. Many consumer products release
VOCs. VOCs are associated with both short- and long-term health
problems, and the concentrations of VOCs in the air we breathe (and
present on surfaces) is typically higher indoors than it is outdoors.
VOCs are Emitted From Solid Furnishings
When it comes to hard furniture like cribs, the
levels of VOCs emitted is dependent upon the type of wood and the type
of finish. I use the term "wood" loosely throughout this post.
Formaldehyde,
a VOC with enormous health-risks is the most talked about VOC when it
comes to wood, but there are many others. Although all wood has a small
amount of formaldehyde, press-wood (a.k.a., composite, fiberboard, MDF,
veneer, OSB, and some types of plywood) is known to release much higher
levels of VOCs than natural, solid wood. This is because manufactured
wood is largely composed of resins and glues that are teaming with VOCs.
In 2007, the California Air Resources Board
issued limits on the levels of formaldehyde emissions from press-board
products sold, used, or manufactured in the state of California. The Air
Toxic Control Measure (ATCM) standards they enacted took effect in two
Phases, with the strictest phase, Phase 2, beginning in 2010. In July
2010, President Obama signed the Formaldehyde Standards for Composite
Wood Products Act into law, which is set to bring federal standards up
to California standards by January 1, 2013. These measures are steps in
the right direction, but studies show that press-board also emits
benzene (a known developmental toxin and carcinogen) and
toluene
(a known developmental toxin, reproductive toxin, and neurotoxin).
Furthermore, the replacements for formaldehyde that have been used since
the CARB guidelines were enacted, such as
isocyanates,
are also known to cause asthma, pneumonitis, and cancer. Therefore,
even press-board products that claim to be CARB Phase 2 compliant are
not anywhere near as safe as good-old-fashioned solid wood with a safe
finish. However, when buying solid wood cribs, make sure to verify that
any glues that were used are at least water-based and VOC-free, and
preferably natural or even organic.
VOCs in the Finishes–We Wouldn't Want the Lead to Be Lonely
In addition to concerns with lead, cadmium, and
other toxins being present on the surface of painted, stained, and
varnished furniture, VOCs are also a concern. Paints, varnishes, and
stains applied to wood furniture can also emit large amounts of VOCs,
regardless of the exact type of wood underneath. Low- and no-VOC
finishes are available in the present day, but very few manufacturers
are using them. If the manufacturer does not boast about using a low-VOC
or no-VOC finish, then you can assume it is full of VOCs. Lower VOC
coatings are typically more expensive, so if a manufacturer is using it,
they are going to make it known ... and typically reflected in the
purchase price of the product.
Often, when buying children's furniture, you
will see manufacturers say that their finishes are "non-toxic."
Unfortunately, this simply means that the finish adheres to federal
safety standards for coatings. However, those standards are not
protecting us from VOCs, nor are they protecting us adequately from
heavy metals and other harmful substances. In many cases, the federal
standards tolerate levels of heavy metals and other known toxins (many
of which are carcinogens) that scientists believe are far too high to be
safe with repeated exposures.
Another claim manufacturers like to make, in
addition to "non-toxic," is that their finishes are "water-based."
Although water-based is preferable to petroleum-based (petroleum based
products are often heavily contaminated with heavy metals), water-based
coatings can still contain carcinogens and heavy metals, and emit large
amounts of VOCs.
When you decide to begin protecting your family
from toxins, you will quickly learn that calling manufacturers needs to
become a part of your purchases. A family who trusts labels to reveal
pros and cons of a product is a family who will be exposed to mountains
of poisons. When you call manufacturers to inquire about their finishes,
beware of customer service agents who think that their finishes would
have to be at least low-VOC or the government would not have allowed
them. I run into this type of customer service agent all the time. They
assume that their superiors would not make an unsafe product for
children, so they say what they think they have to say to reassure you.
They read "meets all federal standards" in their handbook and they
think that this means that the answer to any and all questions callers
may ask is, "it is absolutely safe." Wrong! Ask to speak with someone
on the technical side of things and get the name of the finish
manufacturer so you can do your own research.
Even if a furniture finish claims to be VOC
free, it can still have unacceptable levels of heavy metals, so be sure
to ask the manufacturer about their testing protocols for heavy metals
before being sold on a crib with a truly VOC-free coating. As far as
the lead and other metals go, ask for the actual testing results, broken
down by toxin, and compare the lead levels to California and Illinois
levels. Passing the federal lead standard is not necessarily safe.
Actually, according to scientists, there is no safe exposure level for
lead. Yet another argument for finishing the crib yourself with a
food-grade product. If you are opposed to finishing a crib yourself, see
below for a ready-finished solution. At the very least, ensure that the
manufacturer is testing the finishes on each of their production runs.
You do not want to end up with a crib finished with an exceptionally
contaminated batch of paint, stain, or varnish. The only way for a
children's furniture manufacturer to prevent such a situation is for
them to test each production run, preferably using a third-party lab.
This is especially crucial for cribs, since many children, like mine,
like to gnaw on their crib when they cut teeth. I am a very light
sleeper, so if my child found a way to quietly teeth on her crib rail
while I was sleeping, trust me, it can happen to you! If I ever buy
another crib, the only finish it will have on it is one I apply myself
with a food-grade product!
There Are a Few Non-Toxic Cribs Out There!
A great option for a non-toxic crib is made by
Pacific Rim. It is 100% solid maple and the finish consists of food-grade tung oil and beeswax.
These cribs
cost around $800,
and do have an optional rail to convert them to toddler beds. Pacific
Rim also makes other types of furniture you may want for your nursery.
One caution though, I have seen Pacific Rim furniture for sale with
Varithane used as a part of the finishing, so if you decide to buy
Pacific Rim furniture make sure to state that you do not want any
polyurethane in your finish. I have also read that the manufacturer will
sell their cribs unfinished if the customer desires. I would also
double check on the construction of the mattress platform. If they are
using fiberboard when you inquire, then you will probably want one of
the cribs from the manufacturer mentioned below instead. There is
typically a 5-6 week wait for this crib, so order early.
In comparing prices for the Pacific Rim crib
across the internet, I recently discovered a California merchant called
GreenCradle,
who offers a wide selection of cribs that are truly non-toxic. Aside
from the Pacific Rim crib, the rest of GreenCradle’s cribs seem to be
exclusive to GreenCradle. They have a nice selection–most builders of
non-toxic cribs offer only a single style. Their cribs are all 100%
solid wood and made in the USA. The only finish product used on
GreenCradle’s cribs is food-grade Linseed Oil, (a.k.a., Flaxseed Oil, as
in the stuff you can buy in pill form in the supplement aisle).
GreenCradle states that their Linseed Oil is extracted without use of
solvents or heavy metals, and is free of petroleum and other chemicals.
It emits no VOCs and is also made in America. GreenCradle’s cribs start
at $845, and many have optional conversion kits so the crib parts can
later be used as a toddler bed and as a headboard for a larger bed. This
brand seems worth every penny–especially since their cribs can be used
indefinitely as headboards. The product descriptions on this seller’s
site make it clear that they are well-researched and have child safety
at the forefront of their minds.
As far as an ideal brand sold at
brick-and-mortar stores, I have to say that the only one that I have
found that comes close to Pacific Rim and GreenCradle is Romina.
Romina
states that their finishes are water-based, free of lead, VOC,
formaldehyde, and "other toxic emanations." Romina cribs are solid wood
and they use only "organic glue." Romina cribs are priced from
$800-$1200 and are typically available at specialty children's furniture
stores. However, I would not even buy a crib from Romina without
grilling them regarding testing data for their finishes.
What if I Do Not Have $800 to Spend, but I Still Want a Safer Crib?
If you do not have $800 to spend on a 100%
responsibly manufactured and finished crib, do not despair. There are
several options that are much safer than the vast majority of cribs out
there. I like simple designs, so here is my favorite: Ikea sells a solid
beech wood crib, called the Sniglar, unfinished, for $69.99! At that
price you can definitely afford the gas to drive to an Ikea (relatively)
near you! Simply finish the crib with a food-grade
linseed oil or
food-grade tung oil and you have a largely, solid wood crib with a safe
finish.
(Do not slather just any linseed oil or tung oil on your
furniture! There is some deceiving marketing with these products. I
will be posting soon regarding non-toxic wood-finishing and will give
product recommendations at that time.) The platform that holds the
mattress in the Sniglar is made of press-board, but this is still much
preferable to an entire crib made of press-board. Typically to avoid a
press-board mattress platform you have to spend quite a bit of money,
and even then it is rare to have a metal platform. As for the type of
glue used, if any, on the Sniglar, you would have to call Ikea.
However, even if they are not using a safe glue, the Sniglar crib is
world’s safer than 99% of the cribs out there.
If you do buy a crib with a press-board mattress
platform, you can leave the platform in your garage or on a covered
porch for a few months so it will not off-gas into the air in your
house. You could also attempt to cover both sides and all edges
completely with a VOC-free paint or sealer to attempt to seal the VOCs
in the press-board. However, I have read that not all paints and sealers
have the ability to lock in the VOCs, and I do not know whether there
is a safe paint/sealer that has this ability. If you do decide to
attempt to paint or seal the press-board to seal in VOCs, you should
still allow the board to air out in your garage or on a covered porch,
after applying the coating, for a few months before the baby is born. I
have also heard of people wrapping the mattress platform in polyethylene
or polypropylene sheeting to serve as a vapor barrier (it is now rather
easy to find an inexpensive PEVA shower curtain with which you could do
this job–do NOT use a vinyl shower curtain). I assume you would just
wrap the board like a gift and seal tightly with packing tape on the
bottom of the board, but sometimes packing tape smells like it releases
VOCs of its own. I have also heard that it is possible to buy a sheet of
high-quality hardwood plywood, and cut it to fit as a replacement for
the fiberboard.
Columbia Forest Products Purebond Plywood,
made with a safer, very low emission, soy-based glue. Purebond plywood
is now available at Home Depot and comes in a variety of thicknesses,
so replacing to the same thickness as what came with your crib should be
relatively easy.
Another option for a finish-it-yourself solid wood crib is Angelline's
Della 3-in-1 convertible crib,
which costs $355, including both shipping and the rail needed to
convert it to a toddler bed. Since some of the surfaces on this crib are
quite large, I would verify with the manufacturer that there are no
composites used prior to purchasing. I cannot find any information
regarding the construction of the mattress platform, so you would have
to call the manufacturer.
A third finish-it-yourself option is the Million
Dollar Baby/DaVinci Jenny Lind, which costs about $238. This crib is
convertible, but the toddler rail is typically sold separately. I have
read that DaVinci cribs are made of solid wood, but I am unable to find
any claims as to the safety of their finishes, aside from the
industry-standard and worthless “non-toxic” claim. I would stay with
their unfinished model if you want a Jenny Lind-style crib. I do not
have any information regarding the construction of the mattress platform
on DaVinci’s Jenny Lind crib, but I do recall some of the DaVinci cribs
having metal mattress supports when I was shopping for my daughter’s
crib, so it is worth a call to the manufacturer.
Buyer Beware: Eco-Friendly Does Not Mean Healthy ... Sometimes it Doesn’t Really Even Mean Eco-Friendly
There are many crib manufacturers that claim to
make eco-friendly or “green” cribs. Among these are Pali and Ouef.
However, at this time, these manufacturers, and others following their
“eco-friendly” lead, make entire cribs of CARB Phase 2 compliant
press-board. As discussed above, this does not mean that the press-board
will not emit VOCs, it only means that the levels of formaldehyde (one
of many VOCs) emitted are under a certain level.
Oeuf
uses water-based glues and claims that their finishes are water-based
and VOC-free. However, because Ouef does use press-board and does not
state that their finishes are subjected to third-party testing for
toxins aside from VOCs, I would pass on this brand. Oeuf cribs start at
around $500, which is a bit steep considering they would be a compromise
in terms of safety assuredness.
Pali
currently has a couple of models that are solid wood, with the rest of
their models containing press-board that is CARB Phase 2 compliant. Pali
states that they test their finishes for lead content with every
production run, via an independent third-party laboratory that uses
Illinois standards. Illinois standards are more strict than federal
standards. Prior to buying from Pali, I would be sure that they are also
testing for other heavy metals and toxins. Pali cribs start at about
$399.
Again, in the case of Pali, it seems like you can get a much safer crib
for your money. You could finish Ikea’s Sniglar crib with an organic
food-grade oil for significantly less than you would spend on any of
Pali’s cribs, and most of their cribs are press-board.
What Kind of Crib Did We Purchase Back in 2009?
When we bought our crib, I was only aware of the
issues with press-board and had no idea about all of the other points
mentioned above. At the time, I only knew enough to search for a solid
wood crib. I assumed the government had our back on the safety of
finishings on children’s furniture. We ended up buying a Stork Craft crib
that I found online marked down to $90, from $300. It was made of solid
wood, and the company had assured me that the paint was “non-toxic.”
When the crib arrived, it had absolutely no chemical odor, so we decided
to keep it. To be on the safe side we decided to air it out for the 6
months until our baby was born. We do not have a covered porch, nor do
we have windows in our garage that we could leave open. So ... we put
the crib, along with all of the baby’s other pieces of new bedroom
furniture, in her freshly VOC-free-painted room. We installed an exhaust
fan in the window, sealed around the fan with weather-stripping, closed
the heat vent to the room and the door to the room, and left the window
open with the exhaust fan running 24-7 for over 6 months. Based on what
I know now, our crib was obviously not ideal. If I could have a
do-over, I would marry rich and buy a GreenCradle crib. Just kidding, I
would buy the Ikea Sniglar, finish it with food-grade tung oil, and
replace the platform with Purebond plywood. I would likely wrap the
plywood in PEVA (using packing tape that had no odor) to serve as a
vapor barrier just-in-case.
What if I had no Clue About Any of This and Already Bought a Crib?
Do not despair! When it comes to VOCs fresh air
is your best friend. Even though it is a pain in the rear, I highly
recommend that you purchase all of your baby’s nursery furnishings as
soon as possible, preferable six months or more before the birth. Put
it all in the nursery and leave the windows open. If you are afraid of
insects or rain getting in, then install a window fan like we did and
leave it on high exhaust at all times. The window fan cost us $15 at
Wal-Mart.
If you have already had your baby, air is still
your best friend. Open the nursery windows as often as possible to let
those VOC gasses out. Open as many windows in your house as often as
you can. Studies have shown that even in areas with high levels of air
pollution, the inside air is more toxic than the outside air. If you
are re-using a crib from a prior child, then the good news is that your
crib has already off-gassed quite a bit. The fresh air rule still
applies though.