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A new US study published June 30 suggests the surfaces in your office could be covered in a coating of toxic dust.

Researchers discovered concentrations of a banned flame retardant called polybrominated dipheny ether (PBDE) on the hands of workers who spent at least 20 hours a week in an office. The study evaluated 31 offices in Boston, Massachusetts, and researchers noted that the amount of PBDE on workers’ hands was linked to how much was measured in their blood.

PBDEs were once widely used in computers and other electronics as well as the polyurethane foam padding in office chairs, furniture, and carpeting, so the chemicals are lurking in a lot of offices, even though they are now banned under the Stockholm Convention, a treaty to control and phase out major pollutants.

The Environment Working Group (EWG), a non-profit organization empowering the public with health information, explains PBDEs can cause “thyroid hormone imbalance, fatigue, depression, anxiety, unexplained weight gain, hair loss and low libido.” In prior studies, PBDEs have also been linked to infertility.