United States: There exists a potential fear for your child about the monster lurking beneath their bed.
Research indicates children should worry more about the pollutants in their bedroom air rather than any creatures under their bed.
CNN reports research teams measured high levels of over twenty dangerous chemicals among the studied phthalates, flame retardants, and UV filters in 25 infants aged 6 months to 4 years old near their beds.
New Mattresses, New Risks
A subsequent research investigation analyzed 16 new low-priced children’s mattresses to verify that chemical emissions occurred when measuring hazardous chemical levels.
The study confirmed that newly purchased mattresses contain semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs).
The Guardian explains that semi-volatile means “they can lift off objects and seep into the air over time.”
Tests confirmed that hazardous emissions increased when children lay down on the mattress because their weight put force on the bed surface.
According to Jane Houlihan, research director for Healthy Babies, Bright Futures, who was not part of the study, that’s “a factor that current safety standards don’t consider,” newser.com reported.
Why Kids Are More Vulnerable?
Furthermore, the researchers also noted that children’s exposure to SVOCs and other environmental contaminants exceeds that of adults due to “their 10-times higher inhalation rate, 3-times larger skin surface area per body weight compared to adults, and their unique behaviors such as frequent hand-to-mouth contact and mouthing objects.”
A recent study shows that children’s mattresses contain toxic chemicals, like flame retardant that can disrupt hormones.
— Biohack Yourself Media (@biohackYSMedia) April 23, 2025
The University of Toronto “measured chemicals in the air of 25 children’s bedrooms between the ages of six months and four years old and found worrisome… pic.twitter.com/J5ZOSRqkAB
“We were really shocked to find what was in the mattresses,” according to co-author Miriam Diamond of the University of Toronto tells the Guardian, which also noted that one mattress’s weight was 3% flame retardant.
The compounds of phthalates and flame retardants are linked to different health issues, including cancer, along with hormonal changes and reduced intelligence.
Researchers at Mount Sinai discovered phthalates’ presence in non-plastic mattress covers, although these compounds normally serve as plasticizers to improve the bending properties of plastic materials.
According to the chief scientific officer at the Food Packaging Forum, who explains her choices for those concerned parents, “We opted for large brands that I knew had at least some chemicals policies and tried to get natural materials—latex, cotton, merino—or buy second hand because I figured that most chemicals that would gas out will already have gassed out,” CNN reported.