The researchers have also found brominated resins in car seats

Both of these chemicals are known to have health risks, said David Brookstein, director of Philadelphia University's Institute for Textile and Apparel Product Safety. The institute was established last fall in the wake of growing concerns about the safety of a wide range of consumer items, including lead-tainted toys.

The institute is conducting research to determine if potentially toxic chemicals are present in imported clothing and other textile products and the extent of their use, and will help establish protocols for testing and evaluating imported items.

"We are quite concerned about potentially toxic materials that U.S. consumers are exposed to everyday in textiles and apparel available in this country," Brookstein said in a statement.