Nowadays, the majority of mattresses are constructed with various petroleum-based chemicals, foams, plastics, and debatable flame retardants. Did you know that four known carcinogens and 61 volatile organic compounds were found in a popular memory foam mattress that underwent laboratory testing? Everything in it, from the foam to the flame retardants and viscosity-inducing agents, is made of petroleum-based chemicals.
Memory foam mattresses contain Polyol (Poly Ether Gycol), Silicone Surfactant, Tertiary Amine, Stannous Octoate, Flame Retardant, TDI (Toluene Di-Isocyanate), Pigments/Dyes. According to Hazardous Substances Fact Sheet, TDI sould be handled as CARCINOGEN–WITH EXTREME CAUTION! The government has proven these chemicals leach to the surface of our mattresses and are absorbed by our bodies.
According to, NonToxicBed.com, “the new flameproof mattress regulation (July-07 National, Jan-05 California) requires all mattresses now withstand a severe open flame test. This requires known acutely toxic and cancer causing chemicals in or next to the surface of all mattresses. It is proven we will absorb these chemicals every night.”
These chemicals have been found to weaken or damage the immune and nervous system, cause autoimmune disorders, soft tissue damage, organ and brain damage, arthritis, etc.
If you own a conventional memory foam mattress or other non organic mattress, use onions to reduce toxins in the air. Not only do they pull toxic chemicals out of the air, they’re cheap and easy to find.
Scientists looking for new cleaning compounds used onions from canning factories with various industrial wastes. They found that
onions absorbed about 70 percent of toxins — including arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead — and they could be reused to clean again.
This trick is very simple: Just cut up a large onion into three pieces and place them underneath your bed near the head, center and feet of the bed. Onions will pull toxic chemicals from the mattress thus preventing them from being released into the air.
References:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/11/11/is-your-mattress-making-you-sick.aspx