JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – New research from the nonprofit group the Ecology Center has found many car seats for children still contain toxic chemicals.
The Ecology Center studied 15 car seat brands and discovered flame retardants in all of them. This includes materials known to cause cancer, disrupt hormone functioning and harm child development.
Read the report: Children's Car Seat Study 2016
Exposure to these chemicals happens through the air and dust.
The brands examined by the nonprofit organization include popular ones such as BabyTrend, Britax, Chicco, Clek, Cosco, Diono, Evenflo, Graco (two models, one from the UK), Joie (from the UK), Maxi-Cosi, Nuna, Orbit, Recaro, and Safety 1st.
Next year, a car seat marketed as free of flame retardants, but still meeting the flammability standard, will be produced by the company UPPAbaby.
Overall, manufacturers have stopped using some flame retardants with known hazards, but the effects of many of the substitutes are still unknown, according to the report.
The nonprofit group also wants to make it clear that the vital crash protection provided by car seats outweighs any chemical hazard.