Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that children with higher levels of exposure to certain types of flame retardants are more likely to exhibit antisocial behaviors like aggression, defiance, hyperactivity, inattention and bullying. The flame retardants are used in furniture, mattresses, carpeting, electronics, vehicles and more. The chemicals are not bound in the material but added to the products, which causes them to get released into the air. The link between fire retardants and children’s antisocial behavior The most commonly used fire retardants are brominated diphenyl ethers (BDEs) and organophosphate-based flame retardants (OPFRs). Past studies linked BDEs and OPFRs to poor cognitive function and conditions like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.