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Planet Green previously covered the fire retardant polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE), which is widely used in plastics and foams. It isn't just in mattresses and sofas, but also in hard plastics like remote controls and cellphones.
Researchers were wondering why the amount of PBDE varied wildly among people, some having 50 times as much as others. A team at Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment suspects that it might be hand-to-mouth contact with PBDE-containing products such as televisions, remote controls, cell phones. House dust may also lead to the adsorption of these chemicals to hand or skin oils. The chemicals are fat-soluble, so eating oily finger foods like french fries, chicken fingers or anything else kids (and adults) can't get enough of is probably a route by which people could unwittingly consume PBDEs.
Another very good reason to wash your hands really well: Those of us at computers all day, handling mice and keyboards, should be particularly careful about this, since it is absorbed through grease, washing after a meal becomes as important as before. ::Environmental Science and Technology
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