Is There TDI (methylenediphenyl diisocyanate) in My Sleep Aid Mattress?

No. When you receive your Sleep Aid topper or mattress, it contains no dangerous chemicals at all. Although Sleep Aid uses TDI in their production process, it is also used in thousands of other products, and poses no risk to consumers. The rumor of a “risk” associated with TDI was invented as a marketing strategy to scare consumers into buying one kind of foam over another.

While TDI is used in the production of virtually all kinds of polyurethane foam, TDI is consumed during the production process, and therefore does not remain in the finished product. Companies who claim to make a safer product by using TDI alternatives are using scare tactics to sell their foam.

TDI Is Used in Many Products You Already Own
TDI is used in the production of thousands of products around your home. It is used to make shoe soles, furniture cushions, mattress padding and countless other foam products that we use every day. TDI is used to start the chemical reaction that turns liquid foam into a solid. Once the foam hardens, the TDI has been “used up,” leaving no residue in your mattress or topper, or your shoes or sofa, for that matter.

A Risk in the Factory, Not In The Home
Some companies claim that TDI is a dangerous chemical, and in its raw form it is quite nasty stuff. TDI poses a significant risk for workers in foam plants*, and there are very strict guidelines for how it is handled. TDI does not remain in finished products, however, and so it poses no risk to consumers. Many products have dangerous chemicals involved in their production. Highly toxic mercury is often used in the production of gold to separate the metal from impurities, but that doesn't mean that your wedding ring will harm you. Frankly, unless you work in a factory that produces foam, you have nothing to fear from TDI.*

Do You Feel Sick?
If TDI was truly a health risk, or even a cancer risk as some have suggested, we would be feeling its effects every day. Approximately 1.5 billion lbs. of TDI were produced in the U.S. in 2000, much of which was consumed by U.S. manufacturers. The chemical is incredibly widespread, and is produced in huge quantities in the U.S, where we have some of the best health guidelines in the world. If TDI caused cancer, many of the products you use every day would be a serious health risk. The risks of TDI are simply nonexistent from the perspective of a consumer.

The Cancer Myth
According to the EPA, there is some evidence to suggest that TDI in a concentrated form can lead to cancer in test animals. However, this is based on research involving the injection of raw TDI into the stomach of lab rats. Needless to say, no foam consumer would be subjected to that kind of dosage. In fact, the EPA does not even classify TDI as a human carcinogen because there have been no human trials.

Is MDI Really A Safer Alternative?
Some companies put forward MDI as a “safer” alternative to TDI. MDI could be considered slightly safer for use in the workplace*, but that has nothing to do with the risks associated with a finished product.

The EPA’s recommended exposure levels for MDI are virtually identical to those for TDI, and the warnings for both compounds are directed at workplace risk, not consumer risk. In fact, the two compounds are so closely related, and the health risks so similar, that most articles on the subject discuss isocyanate compounds, which include both MDI and TDI, as a group rather than individually.

Why Do Some Companies Use MDI?
From a manufacturer’s perspective, one good reason to use MDI in production is that it makes chemical reactions faster and is therefore more efficient. Also, because MDI is less volatile and less toxic in the work environment, it requires fewer costly safety measures like increased ventilation, etc.

One drawback to MDI, and one reason why all companies haven’t switched is because the use of MDI makes it more difficult to make truly durable foam. Don't be tricked by the lofty health claims of other manufacturers. Most manufacturers using MDI are more concerned about workplace lawsuits* and their bottom line than they are about their customer’s safety.

* Sleep Aid cares about its employees too. There are strict legal guidelines associated with TDI use, and Sleep Aid goes to great lengths to reduce the risk that TDI poses. Our work spaces are well ventilated and our employees are well educated on how to ensure their health and well being. We also adhere to strict environmental regulations, so that we protect our earth as well as our work force.