Organophosphate esters, or OPEs are used widely now widely used in foams found in furniture, baby products, electronics, textiles and building materials to prevent fires and make plastics more flexible.
But new research out of UC Davis links exposure to these chemicals to pre-term birth and and higher birth weights among pregnant women.
For more, KCBS Radio's Margie Shafer and Eric Thomas spoke with Dr. Deborah Bennett, Environmental epidemiologist at UC DAVIS Health.