We all know that children's toys should be checked for toxic chemicals, and many studies have done so, prompting removal of harmful chemicals and recalls of harmful products. Now a new study from the Ecology Center is focusing on home improvement products like flooring and wallpaper.

What chemicals are we exposing our families to in our homes?

The report found:

- 5% of all flooring samples had detectable levels of lead. Products with the highest percent of lead included vinyl sheet flooring and vinyl tile flooring.

- Two-thirds of PVC flooring tiles contained organotin stabilizers. Some forms of organotins are endocrine disruptors and other forms can impact the developing brain and are toxic to the immune system.

- 96% of the wallpapers sampled contained polyvinyl chloride (PVC) coatings. PVC has chemical additives including phthalates, lead and cadmium, all of which are harmful to children even at low levels.

- Over 50% of PVC wallpaper samples contained one or more hazardous chemicals of concern including lead, cadmium, chromium, tin and antimony.

- Nearly one in five wallpaper samples contained detectable levels of cadmium. All wallpaper with cadmium was vinyl coated.

Read the article on SaferStates.com