Researchers have found, children who live in homes with vinyl flooring and flame-retardant furniture have higher levels of potentially harmful chemicals in their blood or urine.

Children from homes that had vinyl flooring in all areas were found to have concentrations of benzyl butyl phthalate metabolite in their urine that were 15 times higher than those in children living in homes with no vinyl flooring.
Benzyl butyl phthalate (a plasticizer often used for floor tiles) has been linked to multiple myeloma along with respiratory disorders, skin irritations, and reproductive disorders.

The study was presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, D.C. It included 203 children from 190 families who were tested for these chemicals, so-called semi-volatile organic compounds (or SVOCs), in their blood or urine.

For the study, the researchers analyzed samples of indoor air, indoor dust, and foam collected from furniture in each of the children’s homes, along with a hand-wipe sample, urine, and blood from each child.

“Our primary goal was to

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