Brominated fire retardants

What are brominated fire retardants (BFRs)? They are synthetic / chemical treatments which hold excellent fire resistant properties. This makes them ideal for coating various materials for commercial, industrial and personal use in line with regulations. The different types of fire retardants are:

Hexabromocyclododecane
Typically found in styrene resins, thermoplastic polymers, textile coatings, cabling, some polyesters and latex based binders.

Tetrabromobisphenol A
Typically found in printed circuit boards.

Polyrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)
The chemical retardant that is generally found in interiors is PBDEs. Typically found in carpets, foam, cushions, upholstery, insulation, sofas, chairs, other items of furniture – housing for TVs, stereos, computers, faxes, telephones, microwaves, kitchen appliances – cabling, glue, textile/drapery/furnishing backings and coatings.

What affect do PBDEs have on your health? Although unsubstantiated, contamination occurs from contact with dust particles, ingestion of food and inhalation of air. They pollute and contaminate the air we breathe, the earth we farm and living organisms (humans, animals, vegetation). They travel easily and are not easily biodegradable which has seen a rise in levels globally. Some reports have shown high levels of PBDEs found in human breast milk. Levels of PBDEs in humans are much higher in consumer bound countries and these levels build up in your body over time. The rise in levels is a concern as recent laboratory tests on rodents have shown PBDEs to be toxic and link them to conditions such as thyroid problems, liver dysfunction, nervous system conditions, hormone/reproductive irregularities and cancer.

As yet it is not known how damaging these types of synthetic chemicals are to your health, wellbeing and the natural environment.

There are some regions/countries like Sweden have banned the use of chemical retardants entirely and some manufacturers have stopped using chemical retardants e.g. Dell, Xerox, Ikea, Apple. Check in your locality for legislation and with manufacturers for their policies.

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