Melissa Marlowe linked to a disturbing HuffPo article.
Flame-retardant chemicals permeate the world, and the bodies of nearly every person. But a new film and a new scientific study point to two groups of people whose risks of exposure may be particularly high: firefighters who venture into burning buildings and gymnasts who tumble into pits of foam blocks. …
…the new study … found four to 6.5 times more flame retardants in the blood of 11 collegiate gymnasts than in the U.S. general population.
In their attempts to pinpoint the source of exposures, the team found air and dust samples with concentrations of flame retardants greater than in residential homes. Hand-wipe samples showed the athletes had higher levels of the chemicals on their skin after practice than before practice …
No need to panic. Yet.
But if there’s even a slight risk I’d rather Gyms use foam without fire retardant chemicals. They’ve never been needed.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 