Hi mdgail1,
I would tend to agree with your comments and you can also add cushioned furniture to the list which unlike mattresses commonly use foams that have added fire retardants.
There is a lot more information in post #2 here and the more detailed posts and information it links to about safe, natural, organic, “chemical free”, and “green” mattresses and mattress materials that can help sort through some of the marketing information and terminology that you will encounter in the industry and can help you differentiate between them and answer “how safe is safe enough for me” that can help each person decide on the types of materials they are most comfortable having in their mattress or on the certifications that may be important to them. These types of issues are complex and are generally specific to each person and their individual sensitivities, circumstances, criteria, beliefs, and lifestyle choices.
I wouldn’t consider Talalay latex to be the only “safe” type of latex or even the only “safe” material. All the latex you are likely to encounter (Dunlop or Talalay made with either natural or synthetic rubber or a blend of both) will have been certified by either Oeko-Tex or Eco-Institut for harmful substances and VOC’s (see post #2 here) and I would consider any type or blend of latex to be a very “safe” material in terms of harmful substances and VOC’s.
Phoenix