Brominated flame retardants regulation

Brominated flame retardants, and especially PBDE-209, are particularly relevant in the section of the Vero River downstream Barbastro. Although the industrial activity on this area can be considered moderate, the usually low flow of the river and the absence of strict regulations for these compounds allow concentrations of pg/g of PBDEs in the fat of fish captured in this area [1]. 

The RoHS procedure has now combined with European Union Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals (REACH), which is a new European Union Regulation (EC/2006/1907 of 18 December 2006). Four additional substances are listed that will be assessed as a priority, among these substances is hexabromocyclododecane, a brominated flame retardant widely used in expanded polystyrene for which no alternatives have been found so far. REACH addresses the production and use of chemical substances and their potential impacts on both human health and the environment it has been described as the most complex legislation in the Union s history and the most important in the last 20 years. It is the strictest law to date regulating chemical substances and will impact industries throughout the world. REACH entered into force in June 2007, with a phased implementation over the next decade. 

In the case of additives such as brominated flame retardants, whose toxicity is proved, spectroscopic sorting allows materials containing these toxic additives to be removed from the recycling process. These will be specifically treated. When the toxicity of chemical products is questioned by the European Union REACH regulation, we find that recycled materials are poorly defined, with additives often appearing on lists of problematic molecules. Furthermore, the chemical structure of organic additives may alter, particularly under the effect of oxidation and UV rays. 

There is also the EU Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substance Directive (RoHS) in electrical and electronic equipment which bans new electrical and electronic equipment with more than agreed levels of cadmium, hexavalent chromium, lead, mercury, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants, in the EU. The RoHS Directive and the UK-RoHS regulations came into force on 1st July 2006 [9]. To prevent the generation of hazardous waste, the Directive 2002/95/EC requires the substitution of all heavy metals (cadmimn, hexavalent chromium, lead and mercury) and brominated flame-retardants (PBB or PBDE) in new electrical and electronic equipment sold as of 1st July 2006 [10]. 

Another MS/MS application for ion trap mass spectrometry involves the analysis of polybrominated flame retardants (PBDEs). As a result of regulations promulgated during the past flve years, such as the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) [61] and other similar programs, there has been a determined effort to decrease the use of brominated flame retardants in the manufacture of consumer products. The chemical structure for a typical PBDE is illustrated in Eigure 15.42. 

RoHS Since the Directive on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic eqnipment (cotmnonly referred to as the Restriction of Hazardous Substances directive of the RoHS directive) came into force in the European Union (EU) in Jnly 2006 [167]. Some of the same regulations on chemical management have been adopted in other parts of the world. The RoHS directive restricts the amount of PBBs and PBDEs [168] contained in electrical and electronic equipment to less than 1000 ppm. No electronic electric apparatus can be marketed in an EU member state if it contains those materials in excess of a designated value of RoHS. PBBs and PBDEs are among the large variety of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) used in plastics and textiles. PBBs are no longer produced, but PBDEs were in widespread nse before the RoHS directive came into effect, and... 

There are no regulations proposed or in effect anywhere around the world banning the use of brominated flame retardants. The proposed U Directive on the brominated diphenyl oxides has been withdrawn. Deca- and tetrabromo bis-phenol A as well as other brominated flame retardants meet the requirements of the German Ordinance regulating dioxin and furan content of products sold in Germany. The European search for a replacement for decabromo diphenyl oxide in HIPS has led to consideration of other bromoaromatics such as Saytex 8010 from Albemarle and a heat-stable chlorinated paraffin from ATOCH EM. The former product is more costly, and the latter, if sufficiently heat stable, lowers the heat distortion under load (HDUL) significantly. Neither approach has been fully accepted. 

Wager PA, Schluep M, Muller E et al (2012) RoHS regulated substances in mixed plastics from waste electrical and electronic equipment. Environ Sci Technol 46 628-635 Wang J, Ma Y-J, Chen S-J et al (2010) Brominated flame retardants in house dust from e-waste recycling and urban areas in South China implications on human exposure. Environ Int... 

BFRs are one of the last classes of halogenated compounds that are still being produced worldwide and used in high quantities in many applications. In order to meet fire safety regulations, flame retardants (FRs) are applied to combustible materials such as polymers, plastics, wood, paper, and textiles. Approximately 25% of all FRs contain bromine as the active ingredient. More than 80 different aliphatic, cyclo-aliphatic, aromatic, and polymeric compounds are used as BFRs. BFRs, such as polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), have been used in different consumer products in large quantities, and consequently they were detected in the environment, biota, and even in human samples [26, 27]. 

The current situation with regard to risk assessment in the use of several different types of flame retardant is reviewed with respect to EEC council regulation No.793/93. Included in the review are chlorinated, brominated phosphorous and antimony trioxide types of retardant. 0 refs. 

Korea Ministry of Environment (KMOE), 2005c. Worldwide regulation status of bromin-ated flame retardants and response strategy in Korea. KMOE report (in Korean). Seoul, Korea. 

Due to more stringent fire regulations in many countries and the increased use of plastic materials and synthetic fibres, the use of flame retardants has increased. In 1992,600,000 tons of flame retardants were used worldwide, 150,000 tons were brominated compounds. 50,000 Tons of these were the reactive flame retardant with TBBPA and its derivatives and 40,000 tons were PBDEs [1]. 

No matter the source, flame retardants, especially the poly brominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE s), are coming under scrutiny because they are persistent organic pollutants (POPs). They are appearing in human samples, most notably serum, adipose fat tissue and breast milk. PBDE s are also under investigation as potential endocrine mimickers or endocrine disrupters. As a result, PBDE s are the most highly regulated flame retardants. Their environmental fate will continue to be a topic of research for years to come. 

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