That's Fit

There are a lot of reasons to turn off the TV. One, if you're watching it, you're probably not moving. Two, if you're watching it, you might be digging face first into a bag of chips (not that I know anyone who does that ... ahem). And three, a recent study found that the dust on your TV screen might contain toxic chemicals.

Flame retardant is used in many household products these days, including TVs, but also in mattresses, carpet padding, and computer products. It also shows up in household dust, for reasons that, previously, experts couldn't explain. But what researchers in this study found was that TV dust contains high levels of flame retardant, leading them to believe that the heat of the television set vaporizes the retardant, allowing it to settle back onto the TV and surrounding furniture.

This is a big deal, environmentally speaking, because as of next February, TV broadcasts are going digital. When old sets get thrown away, the environment will bear the brunt of the additional chemical load. The researchers in this study didn't give any tips for how minimizing the issue in your own home. I'm not sure this is enough information to keep me from watching the season finale of Lost, but it is something to mull over. What do you think?