Chemicals used to fireproof sofas and mattresses linked to surge in thyroid cancer

Toxic chemicals used to fireproof sofas and mattresses have caused a surge in thyroid cancer, experts have warned.

Daily Mail reported that flame retardants were feared to be making families ill after being exposed to them through household dust.

Although the chemicals had been widely restricted, according to experts, the measures had fallen short.

The UK government had been repeatedly warned of the potential dangers of the chemicals by furniture fire safety policy officials.

According to Terry Edge, who quit the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy last year after his proposals to restrict all flame retardants were rejected; flame retardants were causing thousands of cancers and other illnesses, with children particularly vulnerable.

Thyroid cancer cases had shot 74 per cent in the last decade in the UK. US researchers had attributed these to the flame retardants.

Scientists from Duke University who analysed household dust and took blood samples from people with thyroid cancer, found that patients had a high exposure to flame retardants called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs).

Though the chemicals had been banned in 2004, they were still in the homes of people with furniture bought before that time.

Edge said the vast majority of people in the UK had sofas and mattresses that would contain flame retardants such as this and there was clear evidence that they were killing people.

''They are causing thousands of cancers and other illnesses, with children particularly vulnerable.''There isn't a simple way to tell if your furniture contains them because under European law manufactures are not obliged to tell consumers what is in their products.

''The US changed its sofa flammability laws over two years ago but in the UK, we are still stuck with levels of flame retardants in our sofas and mattresses even higher than the USA faced.''