Flame retardants used in FPUF are typically classified as “additive.” Additive flame retardants are blended evenly into the foam, but remain unbound. Additive flame retardants are expected to be more mobile during the consumer use phase, for example, by volatilizing from the foam, by being washed from the foam or from the foam surface, or in dust as the foam itself is mechanically abraded. Reactive flame retardants are chemically bound to the polymer in the finished product and are used in rigid PUF; they are not typically used in FPUF.
Additive flame retardants have been widely identified in air, house dust, and handwipe samples (Stapleton, Allen et al. 2008; Dodson, Perovich et al. 2012; Stapleton, Eagle et al. 2012; van der Veen and de Boer 2012; Carignan, Heiger-Bernays et al. 2013), supporting the idea that additive flame retardants can mobilize from a plastic or foam into the local microenvironment. Furthermore, detection of additive flame retardants in blood and urine samples (Stapleton, Eagle