PBDEs retardant

Costa, L.G. and Giordano, G. (2007). Developmental neurotoxicity of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants. Neurotoxicology 28, 1047-1067. 

Substance TBBA replaces PBB/PBDE Polymerized TBBA Phosphorus-based retardants Mineral-based retardants Change base material Separate high and low voltage Reduce voltage... 

The challenge was to avoid the use of hazardous brominated fire retardants such as polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) and pentabromodiphenyl ether (PBDE). The first strategy was to replace PBB and PBDE with tetrabromo-bisphenol-A (TBBA). This has a much lower toxicity, but is still a brominated fire retardant with safety concerns. An improvement... 

It is expected that soil PBDEs and PCDD/Fs may also have stemmed from other sources than e-waste recycling processes, as only 3% of the global production of flame retardants is used in electronic products [36]. Apparently, only a small portion of BFRs occurring in the environments is derived from e-waste. 

PBDEs are a group of chemicals widely used as fire retardants in various commercial products. They have also been found in almost all environmental media around e-waste recycling sites, presumably due to unintended releases during primitive recycling operations. Herein a summary of the levels of PBDEs around e-waste recycling and reference sites is presented. 

Kim Y-J, Osako M, Shin-ichi S (2006) Leaching characteristics of PBDEs from flame-retardant plastics. Chemosphere Elsevier 65 8... 

PBDEs are a class of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) used in textiles, plastics and electronic products. The effects of BFRs are associated with three commercial mixtures of PBDEs decaBDE, octaBDE and pentaBDE. In laboratory animal experiments, the toxicity of PBDEs was linked to damage to liver function and,... 

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]. 

HBCD is a brominated aliphatic cyclic hydrocarbon used as a flame retardant in thermal insulation building materials, upholstery textiles, and electronics. In 2001, the world market demand for HBCD was 16,700 tons, from which 9,500 tons was sold in the EU. These figures make HBCD the second highest volume BFR used in Europe [29], HBCD may be used as an alternative for PBDEs in some applications. To date, there are no restrictions on the production or use of HBCD. As a result of their widespread use and their physical and chemical properties, HBCD are now ubiquitous contaminants in the environment and humans [30, 31]. 

Brominated flame retardants PBDEs Soxhlet hexane DCM (1 1) clean up H2S04, alumina SPE... 

The Ebro catchment is the largest river basin in Spain. It covers an area of 85,362 km2 (http //www.chebro.es) and receives the potential influence of three million people. It suffers a considerable ecological impact from different industrial activities located predominantly in the last third of its course. These activities result on the release to the Ebro River and to some of its tributaries of Tm quantities of chlorinated organic compounds, PBDE and other brominated flame retardants, mercury, and other metals. In addition, intensive agricultural practices, mainly concentrated in the last 30 km of the river course and in its Delta, imply the use of large quantity of pesticides and fertilizers. In this paper, we review physiological effects of these pollutants in resident fish and shellfish populations and provide a general picture of the health status of the low course of the Ebro River. 

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 replacement of established chemistries with newer ones is one of the classic drivers of change in the chemical industry. One of the current hotbeds of this kind of change is the replacement of brominated flame retardants in polymer formulations. The brominated flame retardants under the most scrutiny have been polybrominated diphenyl ethers, particularly penta- and octabromodiphenyl ether, which have been shown to be persistent in the environment and to bioaccumulate. Great Lakes Chemical is voluntarily phasing out penta- and octa-BDEs by the end of next year. The phaseout is made possible by the clean bill of health granted by EPA for Firemaster 550, a replacement for penta-BDE in flexible PU applications. BRG Townsend claims the phaseout of penta-BDE and octa-BDE is not as earth shattering as would be an exit from deca-BDE, a styrenics additive that is produced in the highest volume of the PBDEs. 

A new study by three environmental chemists in Canada is the first to measure the levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the environment. PBDEs are commonly used as fire retardants in plastics, and have been found by the researchers to be accumulating rapidly in animals in the Arctic. Details of the study and its unhappy findings are presented here. 

The European Union has unanimously voted to reverse a proposal from the European Parliament to phase out two brominated flame retardants, penta- and octa-BDE. This formed part of a forthcoming directive on a third member of the PBDE family. The proposed directive now returns to the Parliament for a second reading in early 2002, by which time risk assessments should be completed. Parliament also agreed that deca-BDE should be banned by 2006, though only if the risk assessment validated this. EUROPEAN COMMISSION... 

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. 

Booij, K. Zegers, B.N. Boon, J.P. 2002, Levels of some polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants along the Dutch coast as derived from their accumulation in SPMDs and blue mussels (Mytilus edulis). Chemosphere 46 683-688. 

The PBDEs (decaBDE, octaBDE, and pentaBDE) and are used as flame retardants in plastics, electronic equipment, printed circuit boards, vehicles, furniture, textiles, carpets, and building materials. Global demand has increased rapidly since the 1970s with 70,000 tonnes produced in 2001. Their flame retardant activity relies on decomposition at high temperatures, leading to the release of bromine atoms. This slows the chemical reactions that drive 02-dependent fires. HBCDs are a flame retardant added to extruded and expanded polystyrene that is used as thermal insulation in buildings. 

It has been suggested by producers of brominated flame retardants that the health risks related to the extrusion of plastics containing PBB and PBDE could be avoided by strengthened worker protection measures In the recycling installations. As an example It was recommended that workers carry protection masks. Clearly, the substitution of the concerned substances would provide the best protection of the concerned workers." European Parliament and Council, 2002. 

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... 

Due to their adverse health effects, several restrictions and bans have been imposed on the usage of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), namely the penta-, octa-, and deca-BDE formulations, in Europe, China, North America, and Japan (http //www. bsef.com). The restricted usage of these PBDEs increased the market demand for substitute brominated flame retardants (BERs) including hexabromocyclododecanes... 

McKinney MA, Dietz R, Sonne C, De Guise S, Sklmisson K, Karlsson K, Stemgrimsson E, Letcher RJ (2011) Comparative hepatic microsomal biotransformation of selected PBDEs, including decabromodiphenyl ether, and decabromodiphenyl ethane flame retardants in Arctic marine-feeding mammals. Environ Toxicol Chem 30 1506-1514... 

The term brominated flame retardant (BFR) incorporates more than 175 different types of substances, which form the largest class of flame retardants other classes are phosphorus-containing, nitrogen-containing, and inorganic flame retardants (Bimbaum and Sttaskal 2004). The major BFR substances in use today (depicted in Fig. 4.6) are tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), and mixtures of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) (namely, deca-bromodiphenyl ether (DBDE), octabromodiphenyl ether (OBDE), and pentabro-modiphenyl ether (pentaBDE)). 

The chemicals tested were either organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) or polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) (the latter are used as flame retardants) (www.wwf.org.uk/chemicals, accessed November 2006). 

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