About Flame Retardants (PBDEs)
last updated: March 19, 2010
"They're in your car. They’re in your couch, your office chair, your TV, your drapes, the padding beneath your carpet, your hair dryer, your cell phone.
The problem is, they don’t stay put. They leach out of products and they get into us.
They're in dust and soil and the wastewater sludge that's spread on farm fields. The chemicals are in fish and meat and dairy. They’ve been found in the Arctic and Antarctic.
They're in peregrine falcons and killer whales and polar bears and salmon. They're in cats and dogs. Babies come into the world with flame retardant chemicals in their bodies. The chemicals have also been turning up in breast milk."
- Rebecca Williams, The Environment Report
PBDEs are a family of chemicals used as flame retardants in our everyday lives. They accumulate and are long lasting, and we are concerned about them because they have been known interfere with proper thyroid function in laboratory animals, cause problems with brain development, and disrupt learning, memory and behavior.
When there is a fire, seconds are precious and flame retardants can save lives. However, many alternatives are available which are safer. Governments which have passed PBDE bans recognize those alternatives and are choosing to protect fire fighters, children and all citizens from harmful toxic chemicals by encouraging safe alternatives.
Maine. Maine passed a bill in 2007 which would phase out Deca-BDE in favor of safer alternatives. The bill was called "An Act to Protect Pregnant Women and Children from Toxic Chemicals Released into the Home," and passed with near-unanimous support in both houses.
Washington. In 2007, a law was passed in the state banning flame retardants, contingent on finding alternative chemicals which would ensure fire safety. Safe alternatives were found and approved by fire officials, and manufacturers are required to phase out PBDEs by January 2011. Read more ...
Vermont. A law passed in Vermont in May 2009 prohibits the sale of products containing Deca-BDE, and forbids the replacement of Deca-BDE with other chemicals that are known carcinogens. Read more ...
Oregon. In June 2009, Oregon became the fourth state to pass a law requiring a phase out of Deca-BDE for safer alternatives. The law adds Deca-BDE to the state list of hazardous substances.
What Are PBDEs?
When we discuss PBDEs, or polybrominated diphenyl ethers, we often refer to three commercial mixtures:
- Penta-BDE. Used in polyurethane foam used for furniture cushions.
- Octa-BDE. Used in plastics for electronics like laptops, televisions, computers and televisions.
- Deca-BDE. Used in televisions, other electronics, and household products such as upholstery and carpet backing.
Penta-BDE and Octa-BDE are no longer manufactured or imported into the United States without first being subject to an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) evaluation. The EPA announced a voluntary phase out of deca-BDE (deca) by the only two U.S. deca manufacturers and the largest U.S. importer in December 2009. But the chemicals continue to be present in many products in our homes and there is not an enforceable federal ban on these chemicals although numerous states have taken action.
Health Concerns
Behavioral effects. When even low levels of PBDEs are found, laboratory animals have been observed to have changes in behavior.
Thyroid disruption. Some PBDEs have been found to be endocrine disruptors, which means that they interfere with thyroid hormones and can disrupt normal body functions (like sex development and reproductive functions).
Sea Life. PBDEs are harmful to killer whales and other sea life. Killer whale populations have been found to have high levels of PBDEs that get to the ocean via dust and ash."The scientific evidence is clear. Deca-BDE threatens childhood brain development, and can cause or contribute to learning disabilities that last into adulthood. The absorption of Deca-BDE and its breakdown products, is a very real threat to women and children, because these chemicals are passed to infants through breast milk and to children through contact with household dust."
-Matt Prindiville, Toxics Project Director, National Resources Council of Maine.
Products That Contain PBDEs
Household items. Deca-BDE is in many household products including electronics, furniture and curtains. Deca-BDE is not bound in the products and is released in the dust which then heightens the toxicity throughout our households."People trust that products manufactured and sold in the United States are safe, but chemicals like decaBDE indicate otherwise. Scientific studies demonstrate indicate decaBDE's neurological and reproductive health effects may already be impacting human health and wildlife. Alternatives are available. We applaud its phase-out."
-Max Muller, Program Director, Environment Illinois.
Children's clothing and products. Some children's products such as strollers, car seats, infant carriers, and toys can contain deca-BDE or other brominated flame retardants.
Farmed fish. High levels of PBDEs have been found in fish that is farmed—presumably from water contamination and feed.
The Pollution in People website has information on alternatives to PBDEs, and making your household safe from toxic chemicals.
Major Studies & News Stories
December 2009. The EPA negotiates with three large manufacturers who agreed to phase out Deca-BDE in the United States. The manufacturers agree to initially focus on removing Deca-BDE from electronics and home furnishings, followed by transportation and industrial uses.
January 2009. Environmental Health News reports on a study that shows that PBDEs can cross across the placenta barrier from mother to fetus, accumulating in the liver.
September 2008. The EWG publishes an investigative report that found that US children bear the heavist burden of flame retardant pollution in the industrialized world—toddlers and pre-schoolers typically had 3 times more of the neurotoxic compounds in their blood as their mothers.
April 2008. After banning Penta-BDE and Octa-BDE years before, the European Union delivers the final nail in the PBDE coffin by banning Deca-BDE.
February 2007. A study released in Denmark documents 25 alternative flame retardants to Deca-BDE and reports that there is no "application of Deca-BDE in electrical and electronic equipment for which substitution is not possible, from the scientific or technical point of view."
Additional Resources
Our latest PBDE stories
Washington Toxics Coalition
Michigan Network for Children's Environmental Health
National Resources Defense Council
Ocean Futures Society
Environmental Working Group
Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry
Environment Report Fact Sheet: Avoiding PBDEs (PDF)
