Based on health and environmental concerns, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has proposed a national flammability standard that can be met without fire retardant chemicals in foam.  The comment period will end next week.

As CPSC Commissioner Thomas Moore said, "No one wants to trade fire risks for chemical toxicity risks."

This is great news for human health and the environment.   However, the purposed rule has a smolder ignition performance standard for  fabric that could be met with decaBDE and HBCD, both persistent and toxic fire retardant chemicals.  In addition the chemical industry is mounting an enormous effort to go back to a standard that would lead to large amounts of chemicals in foam.   In response, it is critical that the CPSC hear your support for not putting untested potentially toxic fire retardant chemicals in furniture. Send your comments now.

If you're looking for the perfect baby shower gift for Mother's Day, search no more!

Our new onesies are now available in the MOMS store! These cuties feature a cartoon baby face with tagline "Don't mess with my milk!" in purple on the front, with MOMS logo in black on the back. These gender-neutral sage green onesies are made by Hae Now with 100 % organic cotton using non-toxic dyes and a certified sustainable process. Available in the MOMS store now for just $16. 

We all know that we can reduce our risk of exposure to viruses and bacteria by washing our hands before we eat. New research in ES&T (DOI: 10.1021/es7029625) suggests that good hygiene may also help protect people—especially children—from taking up persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from everyday objects like TVs and cell phones.

A team led jointly by Heather Stapleton, an assistant professor at Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment, and Tom Webster, associate chairman of the Boston University School of Public Health's environmental health department, measured the concentrations of PBDE flame retardants on the hands of 33 U.S. volunteers, including 6 children. They used sterile gauze pads in a hand-wipe procedure developed for assessing exposure to contaminants like pesticides in occupational settings.