DMEA in the bedroom

At a glance

What it is

DMEA — 2-dimethylaminoethanol, also written DMAE — is a small, water-soluble, volatile amine with a distinctly fishy, ammonia-like smell. Industry — Sigma-Aldrich, Jeffcat DMEA Like TEDA/DABCO and BDMAEE, it is a tertiary-amine catalyst: it speeds the chemistry that turns a liquid mix into polyurethane foam, and it also neutralises acidic components to keep the catalyst system active. About a fifth of all DMEA produced goes into making flexible and rigid polyurethane foams and lacquers. Regulatory — NTP review document

What it is not is a carcinogen. It is not classified by IARC, the National Toxicology Program, or OSHA, and NTP's review found no statistically significant carcinogenic response. Regulatory — NTP Its real attribute is irritancy. According to PubMed, a 1987 set of rat inhalation studies found DMEA acts primarily as an ocular and upper-respiratory-tract irritant: the four-hour lethal concentration was 1641 ppm, irritation and nasal-tissue changes appeared at 76 ppm, and the no-observable-effect level over 13 weeks was 24 ppm. Peer-reviewed — Klonne et al. 1987, Fundam. Appl. Toxicol.

How it relates to the bedroom

The fishy note in new foam

DMEA's signature is its smell. Because it is volatile and not every molecule is consumed in the reaction, a residual amount off-gasses from fresh foam, contributing the sharp, fishy, ammonia-like character that sometimes sits under the general new-foam odour. Inferred — from DMEA's volatility and characteristic odour combined with its role as a residual foam catalyst This is the same residual-amine issue that drove the industry toward lower-emission and reactive (built-in) catalysts that anchor into the polymer so they cannot off-gas. Inferred

How much actually reaches a home

This is where the honest calibration matters. NIOSH industrial-hygiene surveys inside polyurethane foam plants measured DMEA in factory air at 0.02 to 0.22 ppm, and the compound has been detected in indoor air from polyurethane foam furnishings in homes and offices. Regulatory — NTP review (NIOSH surveys) Set those numbers against the toxicology: irritation in animals begins around 76 ppm, with no effect at 24 ppm. Peer-reviewed — Klonne et al. 1987 Even the inside of a foam factory sat far below the no-effect level, and the residual that drifts from a finished mattress into a ventilated bedroom is lower again. The smell can be noticeable while the actual exposure is very small. Inferred — comparing measured home/occupational levels to the animal no-effect level

Smell is not the same as harm

DMEA is a clean illustration of a theme worth keeping in mind across the Atlas: odour and hazard are different axes. An amine like DMEA is detectable by smell at concentrations far below those that irritate, so a fishy note is a cue to ventilate, not a measure of danger. Inferred — amine odour thresholds sit well below irritant thresholds The right response is the calm one: air it out.

What the research says

• It is an eye and respiratory irritant — at industrial concentrations. No effect at 24 ppm; irritation at 76 ppm; not a carcinogen. Peer-reviewed — Klonne et al. 1987
• It is a major polyurethane-foam catalyst. About 20% of production goes into foam and lacquers. Regulatory — NTP
• Measured air levels are low. 0.02–0.22 ppm even inside foam plants; detected at lower levels in homes with foam furnishings. Regulatory — NTP (NIOSH surveys)
• The smell precedes any hazard. Detectable by odour well below irritant levels. Inferred

What helps reduce it

Air out new foam. Unwrap and ventilate a new foam product before sleeping on it, and keep the room aired for the first days to weeks — the residual amine dissipates with the rest of the new-foam mixture.

Favour low-emission foam. Reactive and lower-emission catalyst systems leave less residual amine to off-gas, so the fishy note is fainter and clears faster. Inferred — reactive catalysts anchor the amine into the polymer

Ventilate. Fresh-air exchange clears the amine along with the broader new-foam VOC mixture.

What does NOT help

• Treating the smell as a measure of danger. DMEA is detectable by odour far below any irritant level; a fishy note is a prompt to ventilate, not evidence of harm. Inferred
• Masking it with fragrance. Covering the amine note with scent adds more reactive VOCs to the room without removing the amine. Inferred

Open research questions

• Typical residual DMEA concentrations in the air above a finished consumer mattress, and how quickly they decay. Speculation
• The relative contribution of DMEA versus other amine catalysts to the overall amine character of new-foam odour. Speculation

Citations

1. Klonne DR, Dodd DE, Pritts IM, Nachreiner DJ, Fowler EH, Troup CM, Homan ER, Ballantyne B (1987). Dimethylethanolamine: acute, 2-week, and 13-week inhalation toxicity studies in rats. Fundamental and Applied Toxicology, 9(3):512–521. DOI 10.1016/0272-0590(87)90033-9 (PMID 3692010). Via PubMed. Peer-reviewed
2. U.S. National Toxicology Program. Dimethylethanolamine (DMAE) [108-01-0] and Selected Salts and Esters — review/background document (production and use in polyurethane foam; NIOSH foam-plant air 0.02–0.22 ppm; detection in indoor air from foam furnishings; no statistically significant carcinogenicity). ntp.niehs.nih.gov Regulatory
3. Sigma-Aldrich. 2-Dimethylaminoethanol (Jeffcat DMEA), CAS 108-01-0 — product documentation describing its use as a polyurethane foam amine catalyst and its fishy, ammonia-like odour. sigmaaldrich.com Industry

Frequently asked questions

• What causes the fishy smell in new foam?

  A common culprit is a residual amine catalyst such as DMEA (dimethylethanolamine), a volatile amine with a characteristic fishy, ammonia-like odour. Amine catalysts are used to drive the foam-forming reaction, and a small amount left over after manufacture can off-gas from fresh foam, producing that distinctive note. It usually fades as the foam airs out.

• Is DMEA dangerous in a mattress?

  DMEA is an eye and upper-respiratory irritant, but the concentrations that cause those effects are industrial. In rat studies the no-effect level over 13 weeks was 24 ppm, and irritation appeared at 76 ppm and above. By contrast, NIOSH surveys inside foam factories measured DMEA at only 0.02 to 0.22 ppm, and the residual that reaches a home from a finished mattress is lower still. It is not a carcinogen. Airing out new foam handles the smell and the trace exposure together.

• Is DMEA a carcinogen?

  No. DMEA is not classified as a carcinogen by IARC, the National Toxicology Program, or OSHA, and NTP review found no statistically significant carcinogenic response. The genuine concern with DMEA is irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract at high vapour concentrations, not cancer.

• How do I get rid of the amine smell?

  Treat it like any new-foam odour: unwrap and air the product out in a well-ventilated space, and keep the bedroom ventilated for the first days to weeks while the residual amine dissipates. Foams made with low-emission or reactive (built-in) catalysts leave less residual amine to release, so the smell is fainter and clears faster.

Related compounds

• TEDA / DABCO — the gelling amine catalyst; sibling in the foam-catalyst family
• BDMAEE — the high-activity blowing catalyst; the other amine in the recipe
• Isopropanol — a dominant, fast-fading new-foam VOC; the rest of the smell
• Chloromethane — the slow-fading dominant new-foam VOC

Embr is a sleep environment company researching and addressing the chemistry of the bedroom. Research and product development in progress.

Last reviewed 2026-06-27. If you find a factual error, contact us.