Hazardous Flame Retardants

Clean Production Action is working with groups in North America and Europe to phase out the production and use of brominated flame retardant chemicals. These chemicals are now found widely in humans, marine mxammals and other wildlife throughout the globe. They disrupt the hormone and immune system and are particularly dangerous to children.

For the past decade, governments, businesses and independent organizations have documented the growing presence of PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) as global contaminants in humans and the environment. All the early warning signs that were in place for PCBs, dioxins and lead, are in place for PBDEs, now known as the “PCBs of the 21st century.” Levels of PBDEs continue to rise, with Americans representing the world’s most contaminated population.

PBDEs are brominated flame retardant chemicals used in electronic products, textiles, polyurethane foam and other consumer goods. Governments, scientists, public interest organizations, and many businesses are working globally to find alternatives by implementing legislative bans, investing in safer materials and chemicals and tracking the growing presence of these chemicals in our blood, breast milk and food.

In the USA the states of Washington and Maine have passed legislation to ban all PBDEs and in Canada these chemicals look set to be deemed ‘toxic’. In Canada, these chemicals look set to be deemed “toxic.” The European Union has witnessed a tug of war over the use of Deca-BDE: the Commission first banned its use under the RoHS Directive then reversed its decision after much lobbying from the bromine industry coupled with highly controversial outcomes of two risk assessments. The ban has been re-instated due to the fact that Deca-BDE also contains Nona-BDE, a banned PBDE.

Most major market leaders in the electronic sector are replacing the entire class of brominated flame retardants with alternatives that are less likely to pose human health and environmental risks.