CERCHFACTSHEETSeptember2012

FlameRetardants:PolybrominatedDiphenylEthers(PBDEs)

WhatarePBDEflameretardants?Polybrominateddiphenylethers(PBDEs)areagroupofchemicalsusedtoreducetheflammabilityofitemsinourhomes.Sincethe1970s,PDBEswereaddedtotextiles,foaminfurniture,carpetpadding,buildingmaterials,upholsteryincarsandairplanes,andplastichousingsforelectronics.MostPBDEsarenowbannedfromuseintheseproducts,buthighlevelsofPBDEsarestillintheenvironment.RecentevidencesuggestsPBDEexposuremayharmhumanhealth.Differentchemicals,includingoneidentifiedasacarcinogenbytheStateofCalifornia,arenowusedasflameretardantsinsteadofPBDEs.

HowareweexposedtoPBDEs?Asfurnitureandotherproductsgetoldandslowlybreakdown,flameretardantscangetintothesurroundingenvironment,wheretheymayremainformanyyearsespeciallyindoors.PBDEshavebeenfoundaroundtheworldinair,soil,dust,andfoodaswellasinwildlifeandhumans.DustcontainingPBDEparticlesisoneofthemainpathwaysforhumanexposuretoPBDEs,especiallyforyoungchildrenwhoputtheirhandsortoysintheirmouthalot.

PBDEslastalongtime:theyaccumulateinfattytissuesinhumansandaredetectableinthebloodofalmostallAmericans.MostpeoplearoundtheworldhavesomePBDEsintheirbodies.ThehighesthumanlevelshavebeenfoundintheUnitedStates,especiallyCalifornia,comparedwithEuropeandAsia.

WhatarethehealtheffectsofPBDEs?PBDEshavebeenlinkedtounhealthychangesinhormonesanddevelopmentinhumansandanimals.Inonestudy,womenwithhigherexposurestooklongertogetpregnant,suggestingthatPBDEsmayaffectfertility.Wealsofoundthatchildrenofmotherswithhigherexposuresduringpregnancyhadpoorattention,motorcoordination,andIQwhentheyreachedschoolage.PBDEshaveasimilarstructuretothyroidhormones,whichareveryimportantfornormalgrowthofthebrainandnervoussystem.InterferingwiththyroidhormonesmaybeonewayPBDEscausehealthproblems.

ArechildrenatahigherrisktoPBDEs?ChildrenhavebeenfoundtohavehigherlevelsofPBDEsintheirbodiesthanadults.Wethinkthisisbecausetheyplaymoreonthefloor,getPBDEcontaininghousedustontheirhands,andthenputtheirhandsintheirmouthswithoutwashingthemfirst.Also,becausePBDEsconcentrateinbreastmilk,babiesareexposedwhennursing.PBDEflameretardantswereaddedtomanyinfantproducts,suchasstrollers,representinganotherpotentialsourceofexposure.Also,comparedwithadults,childreneat,drink,andbreathemorefortheirbodyweight,whichmayalsocontributetotheirhigherlevelsofPBDEscomparedtoadults.ExposuretochemicalslikePBDEs,whenchildrensbrainsaredeveloping,suchasbeforetheyarebornandwhentheyareveryyoung,cancausemoreharmthanexposurestoadults,whosenervoussystemsarealreadydeveloped.

WhyareexposureshigherinCalifornia?CalifornianshavehigherexposuretoflameretardantsbecausethesechemicalsareusedtomeetCaliforniasuniquefurnitureflammabilitystandard,titledTechnicalBulletin117.TheCaliforniastandardrequiresfoaminsidefurnituretoresistanopenflamefor12secondswithoutcatchingfire.CigarettesinCaliforniaandmanyotherstatesarenowrequiredtobemadetogooutbythemselveswhentheyarenotbeingpuffed.Thus,cigarettes,themaincauseoffirerelatedinjuriesinvolvingfurniture,arecausingfewerfiresthantheyusedto.Overall,fireinjuriesanddeathshavebeendecreasingthroughouttheU.S.,includingstateswhereflameretardantchemicalsarenotrequiredtobeused.ThesestatisticssuggestthatuseofchemicalflameretardantsinCaliforniaisnotnecessarytoensurefiresafety.

CERCHstudiesonPBDEexposureandhealthinSalinasValleyTheCenterfortheHealthAssessmentofMothersandChildrenofSalinas(CHAMACOS)studyfoundthathigherPBDEexposuresduringpregnancywereassociatedwith:

Decreasedfemalefertility.(Gotopublication) Alteredmaternalthyroidhormonelevelsduringpregnancy.(Gotopublication) Lowerinfantbirthweight.(Gotopublication) Butnotwithnewbornthyroidhormone.(Gotopublication)

Howcanyoupreventexposuretoflameretardants?Thereareseveralwaysofreducingtheamountofflameretardantsthatyoufamilycomeincontactwith:

Repairorreplacefurniture,mattresses,carupholsteryandchildrenscarseatsthathaveatorncoverorexposedfoam.Ifyoubuyusedfurnitureandchildrensproducts,makesuretheyareingoodshape.

Thoroughlywashbothyourhandsandyourchildshands,especiallybeforepreparingfoodoreating. Takeoffshoesbeforecomingindoorstoavoidtrackingchemicalsintothehome. Useadampmopordustclothtocontrolhouseholddust.Ifyoucan,useavacuumwithaHEPAfilter.AHEPA

filtertrapsthesmallestpiecesofdustsotheydontgothroughthevacuumandintotheairwheretheycangetintoyourbodywhenyoubreathe.

Openawindowregularlytoventilateyourhomewithfreshair. Choosebabyproductsandfurniturethatcontainpolyester,down,woolorcottonwhicharelesslikelytocontain

flameretardantchemicalsoftenusedinfoam.

References:BabrauskasV,BlumA,DaleyR,BirbaumL.Flameretardantsinfurniturefoam:Benefitsandrisks,pp.265278inFireSafetyScienceProc.10thIntl.Symp.,Intl.Assn.forFireSafetyScience,London(2011).ChevrierJ,HarleyKG,BradmanA,GharbiM,SjdinA,EskenaziB.Polybrominateddiphenylether(PBDE)flameretardantsandthyroidhormoneduringpregnancy.EnvironHealthPerspect.2010;118(10):14449.ChevrierJ,HarleyKG,BradmanA,SjdinA,EskenaziB.Prenatalexposuretopolybrominateddiphenylether(PBDE)flameretardantsandneonatalthyroidstimulatinghormonelevelsintheCHAMACOSstudy.AmJEpidemiol.2001;174(10):11661174HarleyKG,ChevrierJ,SchallRA,SjdinA,BradmanA,EskenaziB.Associationofprenatalexposuretopolybrominateddiphenylethersandinfantbirthweight.AmJEpidemiol.2011;174(8):88592.HarleyKG,MarksAR,ChevrierJ,BradmanA,SjdinA,EskenaziB.PBDEconcentrationsinwomensserumandfecundability.EnvironHealthPerspect.2010;118(5):699704.HerbstmanJB,SjdinA,KurzonM,LedermanSA,JonesRS,RauhV,NeedhamLL,TangD,NiedzwieckiM,WangRY,PereraF.PrenatalexposuretoPBDEsandneurodevelopment.EnvironHealthPerspect.2010;118:712719.MainKM,KivirantaH,VirtanenHE,etal.FlameretardantsinplacentaandbreastmilkandCryptorchidisminnewbornboys.EnvironHealthPerspect.2007;115:15191526.SchreiberT,GassmannK,GotzC,et.al.Polybrominateddiphenylethersinducedevelopmentalneurotoxicityinahumaninvitromodel:Evidenceforendocrinedisruption.EnvironHealthPerspect.2010;118:572578.ShawSD,BlumA,WeberR,etal.Halogenatedflameretardants:dothefiresafetybenefitsjustifytherisks?ReviewsonEnvironmentalHealth.2010;25(4):261305.TechincalBulletin117Requirements,TestProcedureandApparatusforTestingtheFlameRetardanceofResilientFilingMaterialsUsedinUpholsteredFurniture,StateofCalifornia,BureauofHomeFurnishingsandThermalInsulation,WestHighlandsCA.2000.