PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Your furniture could be making you sick, especially if you just purchased it, according to environmental experts.
A Delaware County family learned about the potential dangers lurking after they purchased a child’s headboard. They later learned it was due to “off-gassing” and the chemical formaldehyde.
Formaldehyde is found in all sorts of products. The Environmental Protection Agency is now working on new rules to protect workers and consumers from risks.
Seven-year-old Jackson was stuck playing with his toys in the kitchen after his grandmother moved his entire room into the family’s main living quarters.
Stacks of clothes and bins of toys fill the dining room. His large collection of stuffed animals is now in trash bags in the garage.
“He hasn’t been sleeping in his room since June 22,” said Jackson’s grandmother, Beth Santilli. “And he’s really upset. He cries every night.”
That’s because his grandmother bought a padded headboard for his room. But when the delivery guys unwrapped it, she says they unwrapped a 4-month ordeal.
“It’s horrifying. What is this smell?” Santelli said.
Santilli purchased the headboard at Raymour & Flanigan. She said when she called the store to alert them, “She said, ‘No returns, no exchanges. Just open the windows, air it out. This is very normal. New furniture can smell bad.'”
Santilli said days went by, and the room still reeked. So, she continued to press Raymour & Flanigan, and the company agreed to replace the headboard.
But the stench in the room remained. She said her husband shampooed the carpet twice, set up a $1,200 air purifier and lit candles, but nothing worked.
The family said that in July, they told Raymour & Flanigan they were worried about the health impact and Jackson’s heart condition.
The company referred the Santilli’s issue to their legal department, which ordered environmental testing through a third party.
Weeks went by without results from Raymour & Flanigan’s insurance representative. So, the Santillis directly called the tester who sent the report and told them that the report showed. “There are formaldehyde gases. It’s called off-gassing and other chemicals in this room. Don’t go in the room. It’s unhealthy.”
Professor Nick Shapiro is an environmental researcher at UCLA. He has studied formaldehyde gases and the effects they could have on a person. “Formaldehyde is an irritant, an allergen, a neurotoxin, and a known human carcinogen,” he said.
He explained that formaldehyde is a binding agent used in all sorts of furniture and engineered wood, among other products.
He also said formaldehyde is common in homes and people are routinely exposed.
This year, the Environmental Protection Agency determined that the chemical presents an unreasonable risk of injury to human health and is now evaluating the risk in products.
“They found that a level three time lower than what the boy is breathing can cause an increase in asthma, allergies and other pulmonary impacts,” said Santilli.
In late August, the Santillis reached out to the Investigative Team after they said Raymour & Flanigan was slow to act.
After we reached out to the company, the Santillis said an executive at Raymour & Flannigan called.
And in late October, the family was reimbursed by the insurance company for $15,000 in expenses and lost belongings.
Raymour & Flanigan released a statement to Action News about the Santilli dispute:
“At Raymour & Flanigan we have proudly served our communities as a family-owned and operated business for over 80 years. We have earned a reputation for taking great care of our customers and selling quality furniture that meets their expectations.
The products we sell have been thoroughly vetted by our merchandising and compliance teams to ensure they meet or exceed all applicable laws and standards. As a trusted and reputable retailer, we take our commitment to product safety and quality very seriously.
On the rare occasion where a customer has a concern, we act quickly to provide a prompt and satisfactory resolution. In this case, after learning of the customer’s concerns, we immediately worked with the customer to find a resolution. The customer has since confirmed that the matter was fully resolved to their complete satisfaction.”
Environmental experts said to prevent off-gassing, consumers should look for furniture made of solid wood or certified formaldehyde-free composite wood and finished with natural, low-VOC or zero-VOC products.
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