Fire Retardants: Are They Safe Or Indoor Pollutants?

Flame retardants are chemicals added to manufactured materials such as plastics, textiles and surface coatings to inhibit, suppress or delay the production of flames and prevent the spread of fire. They have been used in many consumer and industrial products since the 1970s, but some are now recognised as indoor pollutants that pose a substantial health risk to the population.

PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) are fire retardants that build up in people's bodies over time

PBDEs are often found in household dust, which some researchers refer to as an "indoor-pollution archive". This is because contaminants accumulate in household dust over time, and PBDEs are commonly found in consumer products. Tests indicate that consumer products, rather than industrial releases, are the most likely sources of the rapid buildup of PBDEs in people, animals and the environment.

Flame retardants are any chemicals added to manufactured materials such as plastics, textiles and surface coatings, to inhibit, suppress, or delay the production of flames and prevent the spread of fire. They have been used in many consumer and industrial products since the 1970s to decrease the ability of materials to ignite.

PBDEs are an example of an organic flame retardant, of which there are three primary types: bromine (Br), chlorine (Cl) and phosphate (P). Many flame retardants are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that are toxic, man-made, and hazardous, with dangerous effects on the environment and human health.

Scientists now recognise that indoor environmental contamination, including contaminants accumulating in household dust, poses a substantial health risk to the population. This is especially concerning given that pollution levels indoors, where Americans spend 90% of their time, are much higher than outdoors.

PBDEs are found in household dust, which is considered an indoor-pollution archive

PBDEs, or polybrominated diphenyl ethers, are brominated fire retardants that are persistent in the environment and bioaccumulative, building up in people's bodies over a lifetime. They are found in household dust, which some researchers refer to as an "indoor-pollution archive" or a "long-term accumulative sample" of contaminants. This is because contaminants accumulate in household dust over time, and PBDEs in particular are likely to come from consumer products.

PBDEs and other brominated fire retardants have been found to impair attention, learning, memory and behaviour in laboratory animals, even in minute doses. They are considered a substantial health risk to the population, especially given that pollution levels indoors are much higher than outdoors, and Americans spend 90% of their time inside.

Flame retardants are any chemicals added to manufactured materials such as plastics, textiles and surface coatings to inhibit, suppress, or delay the production of flames and prevent the spread of fire. They have been used in many consumer and industrial products since the 1970s to decrease the ability of materials to ignite. There are three primary types of organic flame retardants: bromine (Br), chlorine (Cl) and phosphate (P). Many flame retardants are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that are toxic, man-made, and hazardous, with dangerous effects on the environment and human health.

PBDEs are found in consumer products, not industrial releases

PBDEs, or polybrominated diphenyl ethers, are brominated fire retardants that are found in consumer products. They are persistent in the environment and bioaccumulative, building up in people's bodies over time. Tests indicate that consumer products, not industrial releases, are the most likely sources of the rapid buildup of PBDEs in people, animals, and the environment. This has been documented by tests from Europe to the Arctic.

PBDEs are added to manufactured materials such as plastics, textiles, and surface coatings to inhibit, suppress, or delay the production of flames and prevent the spread of fire. They have been used in many consumer and industrial products since the 1970s to decrease the ability of materials to ignite. However, many flame retardants, including PBDEs, are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that are toxic and have dangerous effects on the environment and human health.

PBDEs and other brominated fire retardants have been found to impair attention, learning, memory, and behavior in laboratory animals, even in minute doses. The contamination of indoor environments, where people spend a significant amount of their time, poses a substantial health risk. Contaminants can accumulate in household dust, which some researchers refer to as an "indoor-pollution archive" or a "long-term accumulative sample" of contaminants.

The toxicity of PBDEs to human health and the environment has led to their removal from the market and/or the cessation of their production. These actions are taken when a flame retardant's toxicity is proven and/or they are officially recognized and listed under the Stockholm Convention, a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from POPs.

Flame retardants are any chemicals added to manufactured materials to prevent the spread of fire

Flame retardants are any chemicals added to manufactured materials, such as plastics, textiles and surface coatings, to prevent the spread of fire. They have been used in many consumer and industrial products since the 1970s to decrease the ability of materials to ignite.

There are two types of flame retardants: inorganic and organic. The three primary types of organic flame retardants are bromine (Br), chlorine (Cl) and phosphate (P). These are also known as brominated flame retardants, and they are persistent in the environment and bioaccumulative, building up in people's bodies over a lifetime. In minute doses, they and other brominated flame retardants impair attention, learning, memory and behaviour in laboratory animals.

Scientists now recognise that indoor environmental contamination, including contaminants accumulating in household dust, pose a substantial health risk to the population. Some researchers refer to house dust as an "indoor-pollution archive" or a "long-term accumulative sample" of contaminants, because contaminants accumulate in house dust over time.

Flame retardants are repeatedly removed from the market and/or their production is stopped when their toxicity to humans and the environment is proven and/or they are officially recognised and listed under the Stockholm Convention, a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from POPs.

Flame retardants are toxic, man-made, hazardous chemicals that have dangerous effects on the environment and human health

There are three primary types of organic flame retardants: bromine (Br), chlorine (Cl) and phosphate (P). These chemicals are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that have been shown to have toxic effects on both the environment and human health. Repeatedly, flame retardants are removed from the market and/or their production is stopped when their toxicity to humans and the environment is proven.

One type of flame retardant, known as PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers), has been found to build up in people's bodies over time and impair attention, learning, memory and behaviour in laboratory animals. PBDEs are most likely to come from consumer products rather than industrial releases. Scientists now recognise that indoor environmental contamination, including contaminants accumulating in household dust, poses a substantial health risk to the population.

Indoor pollution levels, where Americans spend 90% of their time, are much higher than outdoor pollution levels. This means that the presence of flame retardants in indoor environments can have significant impacts on human health.

Frequently asked questions