Brominated flame retardants contamination

The use of aromatic brominated compounds as flame retardants has been a potential source of environmental contamination. Incomplete incineration of these compounds and wastes (plastics, textiles, oils etc...) containing brominated flame retardants caused formation of brominated/chlorinated dibenzodioxines (PBDDs/ PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs/PBDFs) (refs. 1 - 4). 

UK breast milk samples are some of the most contaminated with brominated flame retardants in the world, according to... 

Abstract We have reviewed the human exposure to selected emerging organic contaminants, such new brominated flame retardants, organophosphate flame retardants, phthalate substitutes, triclosan, synthetic musks, bisphenol-A, perchlorate, and polycyclic siloxanes. Levels of these emerging contaminants in matrices relevant for human exposure (air, dust, food, water, etc.) and in human matrices (blood, urine, or tissues) have been reviewed, together with some of the relevant health effects reported recently. 

Driffield M, Harmer N, Bradley E, Fernandes AR, Rose M, Mortimer D, Dicks P (2008) Determination of brominated flame retardants in food by LC-MS/MS diastereoisomer-specific hexabromocyclododecane and tetrabromobisphenol A. Food Addit Contamin... 

Nagayama J, Takasuga T, Tsuji H. 2001. Contamination levels of brominated flame retardants, dioxins and organochlorine compounds in the blood of Japanese adults. BFR 113-116. 

When considering for which contaminants it is relevant to lay down maximum limits in relevant foods, some contaminants, which have so far been unnoticed or may have been disregarded, will become pertinent. Improved chemical methods of analysis help to identify and quantify contaminants that may be or become of concern, such as brominated flame-retardants. 

As with birds, little work has been done with brominated contaminants in pinnipeds. Walruses (Odobenus rosmarus) from the Canadian Arctic had slightly nonracemic (—)-a-HBCDD for unknown reasons [193]. The only study of chiral brominated flame retardants in pinnipeds reported enantiomer separation of 2,3-dibromopropyl-2,4,6-tribromophenyl ether, the major component of the flame retardant Bromkal 73-5 PE [5]. While this chemical was identihed in blubber and brain tissue of hooded seals and harp seals, enantiomer analysis on these tissue extracts were not performed. 

The Contamination of Indoor Environments 215 Table 7.4 Summary of principal applications of selected brominated flame retardants... 

Three basic principles have emerged as common themes in these policies the Polluter Pays Principle clarifies who bears the costs for chemical contamination the Substitution Principle encourages the adoption of the safest chemicals and the Precautionary Principle promotes preventive action even in the face of the uncertainties of risks (see Section 3.3.2 for a more in depth discussion of the Precautionary Principle). Specifically, the new national chemicals policies of Northern European countries have relied on rapid screening tests for determining regulatory actions on chemicals, focused on products and product lifecycles for risk reduction, established lists of undesirable substances, and, in limited cases, employed government authority to phase out the use of the most hazardous substances such as lead, mercury, cadmium, brominated flame retardants and chlorinated paraffins (for a more extensive review, see Tickner and Geiser, 2003, www.chemicalspolicy.org). 

Emerging Contaminants in the Water-sediment System Case Studies of Pharmaceuticals and Brominated Flame Retardants in the Ebro River Basin... 

This chapter describes two monitoring studies performed with the objective of determining the contribntion of point sonrces, such as sewage treatment plants (STP) and specific indnstrial plants, in the contamination of the Ebro River by two gronps of emerging contaminants pharmacentical residues and brominated flame retardants. 

The analysis of some brominated flame retardants, such as TBBPA, HBCDs and the higher brominated PBDEs, is a relatively new challenge for most analytical laboratories. Special emphasis must be given to the need of an adequate Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) protocol, which is necessary for the reliable analysis of these environmental contaminants at trace levels (Papke et al. 2004). Literature on the analysis of brominated flame retardants in different matrices, paying special attention to new analytical developments and quality assurance requirements, has recently been reviewed by Covaci et al. (2007). In addition, a recent paper of Kierkegaard et al. (2009) discusses the problems and challenges of the environmental analysis of the higher brominated compounds. 

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