Five Problems with crib mattresses: Limited Regulations

Many specific consumer products are fairly well regulated with respect to their ingredients. These include food, drugs, and other specific items such as lead in paint. There are also various types of regulations for many other consumer products such as pesticides, alcohol, tobacco, firearms, medical devices, and motor vehicles. In addition, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 has begun the process of regulating certain specific chemicals. However, the use of chemicals in most consumer products is largely unregulated. These include many of the chemicals typically found in crib mattresses.

“Most people assume the government polices commercial chemicals in the same way the FDA polices drugs, but it’s not true… there’s no
sheriff in town.”
(Andy Igrejas, Director of the Environmental Health Campaign. Tony Iallonardo, National Environmental Trust. “Toxic Chemicals Widespread in Consumer Products.”)
14 July 2004. http://environet.policy.net/proactive/newsroom/release.vtml?id=28735)

“No one is systematically tracking the use of any of these chemicals in consumer products, or the resulting human exposures to these chemicals
in spite of the chemicals’ known or potential human health hazards… Currently, chemicals can be incorporated in consumer
products and sold on store shelves, even in products used by children, with no up-front cancer [or other safety] testing.”
(“EPA Cancer Policy Revisions Highlight Risks to Children.” Environmental Working Group. Children’s Health Policy Review. March 3. 2003)

The average consumer naturally assumes that what is sold on the market (certainly regarding baby products) is fully safe and non-toxic. However, the average consumer is unaware of the potentially harmful chemicals often included in such products. “Most Americans would assume that basic toxicity testing is available and that all chemicals in commerce today are safe. A recent EPA study has found that this is not a prudent assumption.”
(Chemical Hazard Data Availability Study. U.S. EPA Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxic Substances. www.epa.gov/oppt/chemtest/hazchem.php)