Flame retardants legislation

It is briefly reported that the European Parliament s environment committee has proposed a ban on the use of brominated flame retardants octabromodiphenylether and decabromodiphenylether, used in plastics and textiles, on health and environmental grounds. The two substances are scheduled to be banned from use in electronic and electrical equipment under separate EC draft legislation. The committee s decision has been announced before risk assessments of octa-BDE and deca-BDE for the commission have been completed. 

Modern Plastics International 30, No.9, Sept.2000, p.56 EU LEGISLATION TURNS THE HEAT ON BROMINATED FLAME RETARDANTS... 

The move by the European Commission to make three separate pieces of legislation out of an original single draft directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment has probably served to intensify the focus onbrominated flame retardants in these applications. Under the draft, EU countries shall ensure that the use of lead, mercury,... 

The German Environmental Ministry is reported to have attacked European proposals to ban substances such as specific flame retardants in forthcoming regulations for recycling electrical and electronic equipment. Initial proposals from the EU Commission on the disposal of waste electrical and electronic equipment, include a phaseout of PBDEs, despite preliminary findings under EU risk assessment that there is no need for risk reduction from the two types, decaBDE and octaBDE mainly used in such equipment. The Ministry is said to be concerned at the excessively prescriptive and restrictive system being proposed, and that substance restrictions should not be addressed in waste legislation, but should be based on life cycle risk assessments. 

Fire behaviour of products constitutes a major and permanent preoccupation in multiple areas building and construction, transport, electric and electronic engineering, furniture, etc. This theme possibly involves the largest number of standards, regulations or legislations at national level as well at international level. It is in this context that the use of flame retardants for plastics must be envisaged. Several themes are outlined. 

As concern around bromine compounds grew, industry moved away from those underthe greatest legislative pressure (PBDEs and PBBs) towards other bromine compounds such asTBBP-Aand HBCD. Meanwhile, understanding of the toxicity and persistence of TBBP-A and HBCD has increased the pressure to address brominated flame retardants as a... 

The environmental impact of waste disposal and of chemical use in Europe has led to three legislative actions that, in today s global economy, greatly affect flame-retardant use and research. These actions go by the acronyms of RoHS (Reduction of Hazardous Substances), WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment), and REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemical substances). These actions are discussed in detail in Chapter 22, but need to be mentioned here as they are clear examples of how changing regulations affect flame-retardant use, selection, and new fire-safety developments. The first one, RoHS, refers to how new items are manufactured, and specifically bans chemicals and elements of environmental and toxicological concern in Europe. One fall-out item of RoHS is the move from a lead-based solder on circuit... 

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 United States, a patchwork of state legislative activity that is not necessarily based on science is a chronic problem. Legislation enacted on flame-retardants has focused on PBDEs. Legislation has been enacted by several U.S. states prohibiting the use of the former penta- and octa-BDE products and articles containing them. These states include California, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, and Oregon. Use-specific restrictions on deca-BDE have been enacted in Maine and Washington State. 

In Washington State, HB 1024 provides definitions and establishes a process under which the State of Washington can identify, analyze, and approve alternative flame-retardants that could come into use in Washington to replace the use of deca-BDE.100 The Departments of Ecology and Health, as well as a newly created fire safety committee, will have to determine that any proposed alternative flame-retardant is safer and technically feasible and meets applicable fire safety standards as a replacement for deca-BDE in televisions, computers, and domestic upholstered furniture. No prohibition on the use of deca-BDE in these applications can go into effect prior to January 1, 2011, provided suitable alternative flame-retardants are available. The bill places a prohibition on the use of deca-BDE in mattresses beginning January 1, 2008 however, this has no practical impact, since deca-BDE is not actually used in residential mattresses. All uses of deca-BDE not specifically mentioned in the legislation are exempt. 

As discussed in Chapter 2, BFRs have been used as additive and reactive flame retardants in myriad materials and products for over 30 years because of their effectiveness and low cost (Alcock and Busby, 2006). Similarly to PCBs, some BFRs, notably PBDEs, are widely dispersed in our environment and food supplies (e.g. Lorber, 2008 Pozo et ah, 2006 Ross et al, 2009). Again, we use our concepmal model presented in Figure 8.1 to interpret temporal trends in concentrations and exposure. We also use it to discuss the role and effectiveness of pohcies and legislative controls. We focus our discussion on PBDEs for which most is known, with some information on HBCD and TBBPA and newer BFRs such as bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)ethane, or BTBPE, and (2-ethylhexyl)tetrabromophtha-late, or TBPH (Stapleton et al, 2008 Kolic et al, 2009). We use the quotation marks for newer because at least some of these BFRs have been in the marketplace for decades but have seen revived use as countries have banned penta- and octa-BDE and, most recently, deca-BDE (e.g. Alcock and Busby, 2006 Hoh et al, 2006 Stapleton et al, 2008). 

As part of the project work plan, this protocol was tested in three case studies designed to match the three levels of vafidation, before preparation of the final version. The interlaboratory studies included analyses of i) selected natural and synthetic oestrogens and oestrogenic activity in wastewater, ii) pharmaceuticals in water and iii) brominated flame retardants in dust. The design of the interlaboratory studies, analytical protocols and final reports from the interlaboratory studies are available on the project web site. The final aim is flie implemenfation of the protocols in the fields of European standardisation and European legislation. To this purpose, negotiations will be initiated to launch New Work Item proposals at CEN level (see Eigure 8.1.5). 

In order to test the Green Screen, three flame retardants that currently meet performance criteria for use in the external plastic housing of televisions (TVs) were evaluated. With the European Union restricting decabromodi-phenyl ether (decaBDE) in electronics and with similar legislative initiatives under consideration at the state level in the United States, a recurring question emerges are the alternative flame retardants safer than decaBDE from the perspective of human and environmental health and safety Flame retardant use in TVs is of particular interest... 

There has been considerable progress in detailed evaluation of a large number of flame-retardants in a variety of plastics. Many useful reviews of results have been published, e.g., self-extinguishing polyester resins [6]. At the same time, the number of flame-retardant patents has grown enormously, especially in the United States [7, 8], which suggests an intensification of industrial interest in this field which must have run parallel with advances in legislation on this subject. 

Representatives of various industries [17] have examined some smoke depressants and flame retardant resins introduced by various US Companies in relation to US legislation. These include smoke suppressed polyvinylchloride (PVC) (BE Goodrich) and polyurethane (PU) foams (Mobay Chemical), and smoke suppressant additives from Climax Molybdenum, and Sherwin-Williams (molybdenum compounds), Solem Industries, and Alcoa Chemicals (aluminium trihydrates, for polypropylene (PP) and PVC), Dover Chemical Corp., (aromatic bromine compound for PP), and US Borax (zinc borate). 

Research projects are not always laboratory based several students in the past have conducted in depth desk-based research projects, for example in the areas of food waste mapping and valorization greener substitutes for brominated flame retardants and new environmental legislation and its effects on the chemical industry. This offers students greater flexibility, and tailors their project to their own individual skills and interests. 

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