Letter From a Reader

Defending the Safety Of New Mattresses

The Eco Wise column in the April 6 Sunday Source ( "Mattress Eco-Matters: Don't Take It Lying Down") leaves the false impression that to avoid exposure to allegedly hazardous fire-retardant materials, readers may be better off not buying a new mattress, which must meet a rigorous flammability standard that the Consumer Product Safety Commission set last year.

The fact is that the commission determined -- after thoroughly examining overwhelming scientific evidence over a six-year period -- that the materials used by mattress manufacturers today to meet the 2007 flammability standard are safe for consumers, mattress-factory workers and the environment. These mattresses will delay the spread of fire, saving millions in property losses and hundreds of lives, as well as preventing thousands of painful and disfiguring injuries each year.

With regard to the more egregious misstatements in The Post's report, it is suggested that two of the substances present in some fire-retardant materials, boric acid and antimony, make new mattresses hazardous to consumers. Boric acid is found in many foods essential for a healthy diet and is used safely in other consumer products, including personal-care products (such as contact lens solution and makeup remover), laundry detergents and prescription medicines.

As for your reference to fibers that contain small amounts of antimony, better reporting would have disclosed that these are very durable fibers that do not expose consumers to safety risks when used in mattresses. Moreover, neither boric acid nor antimony accumulates in humans, even if consumers are exposed to small amounts.

Finally, no scientific studies suggest that consumers will be safer by not using new mattresses that contain the CPSC-reviewed fire-retardant materials, and respected members of the scientific community, including a leader of Friends of the Earth, agree with the commission's conclusions.

Ryan Trainer, executive vice president, International Sleep Products Association, Alexandria