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Furniture makes our homes comfortable, livable spaces. But whether we're talking about the sofa or a baby's crib, there are a few things to consider about materials used to construct furniture.

Both wood and upholstered furniture can contain unhealthy glues, particleboard, chip board, pressed wood and plywood. All of these can emit formaldehyde and other VOCs for months. Wood furniture finishes, particularly those that are oil-based, may also offgas chemicals.

Upholstered furniture typically contains polyurethane foam, which may offgas VOCs, as well. This foam and covering fabrics are often treated with chemical-laden finishes for stain-resistance, waterproofing and flame retardancy.

New evidence is showing that one type of commonly used flame retardant, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), may be as persistent and dangerous as DDT and PCBs.¹ Researchers have found that PBDEs accumulate in human breast milk.¹

Another class of chemicals, perfluorinated compounds, are in part used to guard against stains in many fabric treatments, and have become widespread in the environment because they don't break down easily (some of them have been reported to NEVER break down!).^2,3 Toxicity information is incomplete due to inadequate testing, but they are building up in our bodies. For example, with the PFC known as PFOA, a person's body readily absorbs it but doesn't readily excrete it. PFOA's half-life in the body is 4.4 years, which means that even if no additional PFOA exposure occurred, the body would take over 20 years to get rid of it. ^2,3

Other unhealthy substances in furniture include the dust, mold, and animal dander that accumulates in upholstery. These can cause or contribute to your children’s allergies.

And, forests worldwide are in serious decline, being harvested at unsustainable rates. Unsustainable forest management is causing biodiversity loss and negatively affecting the economic future of communities around the globe. To avoid contributing to deforestation, purchase sustainable, nontoxic furniture.

If you’ve had your furniture for a few years, it’s probably offgassed most of its VOCs. When you are considering new furniture, though, you should pay attention to the materials that it’s constructed with. Sticking to untreated, natural woods, especially those made of sustainable woods, makes for beautiful, long lasting and safe furniture.

The most deceiving furniture looks like natural wood, but internal pieces, such as drawers, backs and bottoms may be made of particleboard or plywood. Natural veneers are sometimes used on cheaper, manufactured wood products. Inspect carefully. Unfinished edges are particularly telling.

For upholstered chairs and couches, you can have sofas, loveseats and chairs custom-made with organic cotton and wool fill by Furnature and The Natural Alternative. Wool is naturally flame retardant and substitutes well for foam used for that purpose. The cost can be high, but prices are usually in line with those of high quality furniture in general. For example, a custom-made, all-organic chair may cost $500 to $1,000, while a sofa might be made for $2,000 to $3,000. More affordable, safe options are available through Ikea, a retailer based in Sweden that has stores opening up all over the US.

Futons that convert to sofas and chairs are a less expensive option. While you might not want your entire house to be furnished with futons, a piece here and there, especially in family rooms, will do double duty as safe seating and extra beds for guests. And you can easily change futon covers for new decorating looks and washing. Make sure you buy futons made of 100% cotton. Avoid those with foam cores.

Seeking used furniture, which has already offgassed, provides a welcome excuse to go antique hunting. Even if you don’t find bargain-basement, mint-condition pieces, you may happen upon treasured heirloom pieces that will give your home a unique look.

Old upholstered furniture may have accumulated dust, mold and animal dander. Using a HEPA vacuum cleaner or steam cleaning will help get rid of embedded allergens. Make sure the fabric and fill dry thoroughly to avoid mold growth. Mold spores are almost impossible to get rid of in upholstery, so if it smells moldy or looks mold-stained, you shouldn’t keep it.

¹ US Environmental Protection Agency, Polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs). http://www.epa.gov/oppt/pbde/. 2006.
² Pollution in People, Perflourinated Compounds (PFCs). http://www.pollutioninpeople.org/toxics/pfcs. 2006.
³ Environmental Working Group, PFCs: A Family of Chemicals that Contaminate the Planet. http://www.ewg.org/reports/pfcworld/. 2006.

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