Fungicides: Sofa causes heart failure, claims UK man

The curse of the Chinese sofa has struck again.  After sofas manufactured in China were found to cause dermatitis, one user is also blaming his new sofa for his serious heart condition.

Barry Green of Plymouth is suing the Chinese manufacturer, Eurosofa, and the supplier, Land of Leather, after suffering heart failure, which doctors say has resulted in permanent heart damage.

He says that sachets of anti-mould fungicide, which contain the chemical dimethyl fumarate, are responsible for his poor health.  His condition started within weeks after buying the £545 leather suite.  Initially he suffered blisters, before he developed breathing problems that led to pneumonia and, finally, heart failure.

Earlier this year sofas manufactured in China were found to cause severe dermatitis.  At one stage last January, doctors were treating 130 people who had suddenly developed the skin condition after a purchasing one of the sofas.

(Sources:  BBC Website, October 20, 2008; British Medical Journal, 2008; 336: 104).