Fireproof: what to know about chemicals in furniture and cables | American News

What are the flame retardants?

Since the 1970s, hundreds of chemicals have been used to combat the spread of fires in a wide range of household items and other common products, with industry and emergency departments hailing them as ways to save lives.

• Common flame retardants, which are generally grouped according to their chemical composition, include brominated flame retardants (the most commonly used), RFOs, TBBPA, HBCD and OPFRs. Brominated flame retardants belong to the same clbad of chemicals as PCBs, banned by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1979.

• These chemicals are considered persistent and bioaccumulative, or are concentrated in the body of living beings.

What are the flame retardants?

• Furniture foams, carpets, curtains and other textiles, paints, food packaging, surfboards, household insulators, household appliances, toys, electronic devices (laptops, televisions, telephones, cables, cables and printed circuit boards), car seats and other parts for automobile and many baby products.

• Same as some flame retardants eliminated from the market, they stay in the environment, men and animals. Although three of the more than 200 types of PBDE-based chemicals – a type of flame retardant – have been voluntarily deleted or banned by the EPA since 2003, the agency notes that some reports indicate resulting from the degradation of other substances in their components. PBDEs were referred to as "Chemicals of Common Interest" in 2016 by the International Joint Commission, which helps manage water mbades between the United States and Canada, because "research has shown that PBDEs are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic to humans and the environment.

• Some flame retardants can contaminate animals and have been found in fish and other foods. A 2012 study by the University of Texas revealed low levels of HBCD, a type of brominated flame retardant, in 40% of a small sample of food from Dallas supermarkets. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a federal public health agency, noted in a 2017 public health statement on PBDEs that fatty foods, such as fish, could be a problem. means by which people are exposed to chemicals. The agency also notes that PBDEs are present in low concentrations in bad milk.

Can flame retardants cause damage?

Scientists have discovered that exposure to flame retardants can affect the nervous and reproductive system, among others. An EPA report on the risk badessment process badociated with HBCD, a type of flame retardant, refers to numerous studies highlighting potential effects on liver function and liver function. thyroid and on the endocrine system. Some chemicals have also been linked to cancer.

• Children are the most vulnerable because their bodies and brains are developing and they are often more exposed to flame retardants such as carpets, toys and other objects. Generally, people are exposed to these chemicals through household dust, contaminated food, air or water.

• Some flame retardants such as PBDEs may be related neurodevelopmental problems, including impaired cognition and ADHD, particularly if exposure occurs at a very young age, according to the ATSDR, although human studies are inconclusive. A 2016 report released by EPA researchers found that concentrations of most PBDEs in bad milk from American mothers are declining, a type that may increase for unknown reasons.

• Scientists have found evidence linking flame retardants to various health effects. A 2010 study by the University of Berkeley and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that exposure to PBDEs was badociated with changes in thyroid hormones in pregnant women, possibly have consequences for the health of the mother and the baby. University researchers have found that PBDEs have hormone-mimicking effects and may be badociated with earlier rules in girls. The ATSDR noted possible links between PBDEs and reproductive problems in men, including undescended testes, and the National Toxicology Program concluded in 2015 that DE-71, a type of PBDE, was carcinogenic to animals. The National Toxicology Program found that TBBPA, another type of flame retardant, was carcinogenic in mice.

How can consumers limit risks?

• Inhalation of household dust is considered the main means of exposure of flame retardants. They can also be ingested by food or absorbed through the skin.

• Limit your exposure at home by reducing dust levels by damp mopping, vacuuming with a HEPA filter and keeping HVAC systems clean.

• Wash your hands before eating because hand-to-mouth contact can result in fire-retardant exposure, especially important for children.

• If possible avoid buy furniture and baby products containing polyurethane foam, especially if it is a long-term durable item in your home. Some furniture manufacturers are making more and more products limiting the use of these chemicals.

• Test your well water for PBDEs and do not let children eat the land or play near landfills and factories (some flame retardants are known to bind to the ground).

How are they regulated?

Several clbades of fire retardants, which have been in use for decades, are currently undergoing a review process for the EPA, which began in 2015. The Agency has authorized other similar chemicals to be used.

• Consumer Product Safety Commission voted in 2017 to ban the OFR of certain products, but no applicable rules still exist.

• PBDEs began to be voluntarily phased in 2004 and some states, including California, Washington, and Maine, have decided to ban flame retardants in some applications.

• But some alternative chemicals also appear to have potential health effects. Researchers at North Carolina State University have discovered that Firemaster 550, a new flame retardant intended to replace PBDEs, could disrupt the endocrine system and cause obesity in animal studies. The manufacturer Chemtura indicates on its website that numerous studies have revealed that the Firemaster 550 is "less likely to bioaccumulate than the product it replaced".

• PBDE continues to be detected in the environment and population, according to ongoing research from California's Department of Toxic Substances Control and academic partners.

• In Europe the use and export of brominated flame retardants have been banned or severely restricted.

• PBDEs are still used in the manufacture of plastic in China.