SACRAMENTO, Nov. 22 (UPI) -- California will ban toxic chemicals in fire retardants used in upholstered furniture, officials said.
New regulations will affect "everything from highchairs to sofas," Gov. Jerry Brown said in a statement released by his office Thursday.
Studies have linked the chemicals used in flame retardants to cancer and fertility issues and the state began considering changes to 40-year-old regulations a year ago..
"The previous standards focused predominantly on filling materials, where fires don't actually start," said Tonya Blood, chief of the agency that led the effort to develop the new standards.
"The new standards were developed to address where the fire begins, which is the cover fabric, and to focus on the interactions of the cover fabric and filling materials."
The standards go into effect Jan. 1. Manufacturers have a year to comply.
