by Rajeev Sahadevan
Published Tue, Mar 8th 2016, 10:19 | Home Repair
The mattress, where we spend the one third time of our life could be the most dangerous of all the things that can upset our health. The mattress that uses many raw materials can emit highly poisonous gases and other compounds that would compromise our health in one way or the other. People who are highly sensitive to chemicals can easily fall into this trap. The main concern is how do we know what mattress is the most toxic one. The simplest answer would be that, any mattress that is not made with natural components is toxic in nature. Only the percentage of toxicity differs from one to another.
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· Old mattresses not as safe as it is estimated: The general myth is that the old mattresses are done with the off gassing. But the fact is that they are not done yet. The older they get the more will be the special kind of chemicals emitted from them. This is true especially for the memory foam mattresses that still have those flame retardant chemicals that can disrupt the hormones. The foam in them degrades as time passes as a result give out such chemicals names polybrominated diphenyl ethers- PBDE, periodically.
· Flame retardant mattresses: All kinds of mattresses that have flame retardant capacity do have harmful chemicals all over it. These chemicals are mostly on the top layer and will never off-gas. The emitting of the gas will make it succumb to fire. But their presence in the mattress will cause various health problems like allergies and respiratory troubles.
· Mattresses with spring coils: The spring coils are made with safe steel that is not a health concern. What concerns in these kinds of mattresses is that the coils can be kind of antennas that can attract radiation from the atmosphere. They can attract the electromagnetic radiation that will have ill effect o the health. Chemically and material wise, these mattresses may be safe but one must also be aware of the radiation threats posed by them.
· Any mattress that still has its plastic wrap around it is toxic for the longest run. The toxins from the mattress as well as from the plastic make a larger problem than the mattress alone. There would a cocktail made of all chemicals and volatile organic compounds that jeopardize your health sooner or later.
What mattress are the non-toxic ones?
Mattresses that are made of 100% cotton, latex, bamboo etc are the safest bet for a healthy mattress. The cotton must be unbleached or untreated one. The same applies for the latex or bamboo. The natural fibers will not emit any kind of chemicals but can also resist the growth of bed bugs and other microbes on the bed.
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