Effective July 1, 2017: Children’s Foam-Padded Sleeping Products with TDCPP or TCEP

The regulation for Children’s Foam-Padded Sleeping Products containing TDCPP or TCEP as a Priority Product went into effect on July 1, 2017: Manufacturer’s of this product (see final regulations text for full description of the Priority Product) must notify the Department by September 1, 2017. To submit a Priority Product Notification, register on the Safer Consumer Products Information Management System, CalSAFER, and submit a notification. 

After a thorough review of the research, DTSC determined that children may be at risk for adverse health effects if they use or are near children’s foam-padded sleeping products that contain the chemical flame retardants TDCPP or TCEP. We chose this Priority Product with the goal of reducing children’s exposure to these particular toxic chemicals.

TDCPP is also known as chlorinated tris or tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate. It is a high production volume chemical that is considered a carcinogen by California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. TDCPP is readily released into air and dust, and has been detected in dust in homes, offices, automobiles, and daycare centers worldwide. People are exposed to TDCPP via dust inhalation or skin absorption and children and infants are especially vulnerable.

Related Documents & Links

• Technical Report
• Regulation Text for Children’s Foam-Padded Sleeping Products
• Testing Children’s Foam-Padded Sleeping Products in California: A Summary of Findings 

Now Available: Testing Children’s Foam-Padded Sleeping Products in California: A Summary of Findings

Our report “Testing Children’s Foam-Padded Sleeping Products in California: A Summary of Findings” is now available. We tested a variety of children’s foam-padded sleeping products to verify manufacturer compliance with the Priority Product regulation that became effective on July 1, 2017.

We analyzed a total of 21 products including nap mats, soft-sided portable cribs, play pens, play yards, infant travel beds, bassinets, infant sleep positioners, and foam pillows.  Of the 21 products tested, none contained TDCPP or TCEP at levels that would indicate they were intentionally added. Thus, we found that TDCPP and TCEP are being phased out of children’s foam-padded sleeping products offered for sale in California, and that manufacturers appear to be in compliance with the Priority Product regulation. Based on these findings, we believe no further compliance activities are warranted at this time.

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