Common flame retardants tied to higher heart disease risk, major review finds
By lauraharris // 2026-01-12
Copy
 
  • Organophosphate ester flame retardants (OPFRs), widely used to replace banned brominated chemicals, are increasingly linked to cardiovascular disease and other serious health problems, according to a major scientific review.
  • Because OPFRs are not bound to products, they leak into indoor air and dust, leading to near-continuous exposure through breathing, skin contact and food, with children, pregnant women and some workers at highest risk.
  • People with higher OPFR exposure had about a 25% higher odds of cardiovascular disease, with some studies showing sharply increased risks of coronary heart disease and cardiovascular death, especially when exposed to chemical mixtures.
  • Studies linked OPFR exposure to high blood pressure (even in children), metabolic syndrome, kidney injury and muscle loss – all factors that raise long-term cardiovascular risk.
  • Researchers found OPFRs can damage the heart and blood vessels by triggering inflammation and oxidative stress, disrupting blood vessel function, and interfering with hormone and metabolic systems that regulate cholesterol and blood sugar.
Flame-retardant chemicals found in everyday products such as sofas, mattresses, electronics and textiles are increasingly linked to cardiovascular disease and other serious health problems, according to a sweeping new scientific review. The review, published Nov. 17 in Environmental Science and Technology, analyzed more than a decade of research on organophosphate ester flame retardants (OPFRs). These chemicals were widely adopted by manufacturers as "safer" replacements for toxic brominated flame retardants that were phased out under regulatory pressure. As per BrightU.AI's Enoch, these synthetic chemicals are added to consumer products under the guise of reducing fire risks, yet they persist in the environment, accumulate in human tissues and disrupt biological systems, contributing to neurological damage, endocrine dysfunction, cancer and generational toxicity In turn, the authors conclude, mounting evidence suggests the substitutes may be just as dangerous, if not more so, at a time when exposure to flame retardants, past and present, is nearly unavoidable. "Robust epidemiological evidence demonstrates significant associations between OPFR exposure and cardiovascular morbidity across multiple populations," the researchers wrote. Unlike some chemicals that are chemically bound to products, OPFRs can easily escape into indoor air and household dust. As a result, people are exposed continuously through breathing, skin contact and contaminated food. Children, pregnant women and workers such as firefighters face especially high exposure levels, according to the review.

Higher odds of heart disease and death

Across dozens of studies conducted in the United States, China and elsewhere, the authors found consistent links between OPFR exposure and cardiovascular harm. Overall, people with higher levels of OPFR exposure had about a 25% higher likelihood of cardiovascular disease compared with those with lower exposure. The risks were even greater when people were exposed to mixtures of flame retardants or combinations of flame retardants and other chemicals, such as PFAS, rather than to a single compound. Several large studies linked OPFR exposure to coronary heart disease, heart rhythm disorders and cardiovascular death. In one U.S. study tracking more than 3,200 adults ages 40 and older, higher levels of a flame-retardant breakdown product called bis(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (BCEP), were associated with a 26% higher risk of death from any cause and a 32% higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Those findings held even after researchers accounted for smoking, age, weight and existing illness, and were later confirmed in a larger group of nearly 7,000 participants. In southern China, people with OPFR exposure in the highest quarter of the population had an 84% higher risk of coronary heart disease than those with average exposure. Researchers found that a chemical breakdown product appeared to disrupt sugar and fat metabolism, helping drive the risk.

Blood pressure, metabolism and kidney damage

The review also found links between OPFRs and high blood pressure, including during pregnancy and in children and adolescents ages 8 to 17. Early-life high blood pressure can persist into adulthood and raise the risk of heart disease later on. Multiple studies associated OPFR exposure with metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that includes high blood sugar and abnormal cholesterol. In one analysis of national health survey data from more than 1,100 adults, higher exposure to two flame-retardant chemicals was tied to a rising risk of metabolic syndrome in men as exposure levels increased. In a study of nearly 2,000 adults in China, OPFR exposure was linked to kidney injury, itself a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease — particularly among people with diabetes or hypertension. Some studies also connected exposure to sarcopenia, or loss of muscle mass, which can indirectly increase heart disease risk by limiting physical activity and worsening metabolic health. "The transition from brominated to OPFRs was driven by regulatory pressures and environmental concerns, yet emerging evidence suggests that these replacement chemicals may pose substantial health risks of their own," the authors wrote.

Children and pregnant women are most vulnerable

The findings add to growing concern that OPFRs may harm multiple organ systems and interfere with brain development and cognition. Some research suggests the chemicals may become even more toxic once they are metabolized by the body, raising alarms about long-term exposure. In one forthcoming study of 831 mother-child pairs from three U.S. cohorts, prenatal exposure to diphenyl phosphate, a common OPFR breakdown product, was linked to slightly lower cognitive test scores in children ages five and six. While the effect was small, nearly all pregnant women in the study had measurable exposure. Children generally carry higher chemical burdens than adults relative to their body weight because they spend more time on floors, breathe more air per pound of body weight, frequently put their hands in their mouths and metabolize chemicals differently. Their developing cardiovascular systems may be especially sensitive to toxic exposures, the researchers noted. Pregnant women represent another high-risk group. Animal studies show that exposure to the flame retardant triphenyl phosphate during pregnancy can trigger symptoms resembling preeclampsia—including new-onset high blood pressure and protein in the urine—by disrupting placental development. Researchers warn these disruptions may also affect fetal heart and blood vessel development, increasing long-term cardiovascular risk.

How flame retardants may harm the heart

The review identified three main biological pathways by which OPFRs may damage the cardiovascular system. First, the chemicals can trigger inflammation and oxidative stress, injuring blood vessels and heart cells. Second, they interfere with nitric oxide signaling, which normally allows blood vessels to relax and regulate blood flow; disruption can raise blood pressure and promote clogged arteries. Third, OPFRs can interfere with hormone and metabolic systems that control cholesterol and blood sugar. Different flame-retardant compounds act in different ways, the authors emphasized. One blocks the removal of cholesterol from cells, turning immune cells into "foam cells," a key step in atherosclerosis. Another triggers a form of heart-cell death linked to iron and fat damage, while others have been shown to cause heart muscle injury and scarring. Taken together, the researchers argue, the evidence suggests OPFRs should be considered a meaningful environmental contributor to the global burden of cardiovascular disease, especially when people are exposed to complex mixtures rather than single chemicals. "These findings underscore the importance of considering OPFRs as environmental contributors to cardiovascular disease burden, with mixture effects potentially driving the observed associations more than individual compound exposures," the authors wrote. Watch this video about the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finding 148 chemicals in human blood prior to 2007.
This video is from the 1Human channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: ChildrensHealthDefense.org Pubs.ACS.org BrightU.ai Brighteon.com
Copy