Six Classes Part 3: Flame Retardants and Flammability Standards

Transcription

1 Six Classes Part 3: Flame Retardants and Flammability Standards Arlene Blum PhD Department of Chemistry, UC, Berkeley Green Science Policy Institute 4

2 Major uses of flame retardants 1. Electronics 2. Building insulagon 3. Polyurethane foam 4. Wire and cable 5

3 Flame retardants are used to meet flammability standards 1972 Flammability standard for baby pajamas (Consumer Product Safety Commission regulation) 1973 Furniture flammability standard TB117 (Standard mandated by California legislation) 1976 Uniform Building Code for foam plastics insulation (Private code body) 6

4 Brominated Tris Flame Retardant Tris (2,3-dibromopropyl) phosphate In children s sleepwear 1975 to 1977 Up to 10% of the weight of fabric In children s urine Mutagen and possible carcinogen GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTE greensciencepolicy.org

5 Science, January 7, 1977 GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTE greensciencepolicy.org

6 CPSC Bans TRIS-Treated Children's Garments FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 7, 1977 Chlorinated Tris replaced Brominated Tris Removed from pajamas in 1978 Used in furniture, baby products etc until 2012 GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTE greensciencepolicy.org

7 Why are flame retardants in furniture & baby products? California Technical Bulletin 117: Requires filling inside furniture to withstand a small open flame for 12 seconds No fire safety benefit (fires start in fabric covers not in fillings) 10

8 PentaBDE flame retardant Used from 1975 to 2004 to meet TB117. Chemical structure similar to PCBs, dioxins & furans. Globally banned as a persistent organic pollutant (POP) 11

9 Animal health effects Chronic toxicity: long term impacts Endocrine disruption: Interference with thyroid hormone action Neurodevelopment: Decreased memory, learning deficits, altered motor behavior, hyperactivity Reproductive system effects: Abnormal gonadal development, reduced ovarian follicles, reduced sperm count Immune suppression Cancer 12

10 Currently more than 4000 scientific articles about PBDEs Number of PublicaAons PublicaAon Year ISI Web of Science 13

11 PentaBDE human health associations Higher pentabde associated with lower birth weight impaired attention poorer coordination lowered IQ longer time to get pregnant altered thyroid hormones Eskenazi et al, 2010, 2011,

12 Flame retardants move from products to people 15

13 Toddlers have about three times the flame retardant level of their mothers Rita Quinn 16 Lunder 2010; Bradman 2012

14 THE PROBLEM: Most Chemicals Are NOT Effectively Regulated in the U.S. The U.S. Toxic Substances Control Act (1976) 62,000 chemicals in commerce grandfathered 20,000 new chemicals have been introduced o 85% have no health data o 67% have no data at all Michael Wilson, Green Chemistry in California:

15 Regrettable Substitutions? Kid s PJs Brominated Tris MUTAGEN Chlorinated Tris MUTAGEN Furniture, baby products PentaBDE TOXIC, PERSISTANT, BIOACCUMULATIVE Chlorinated Tris CARCINOGEN Firemaster 550 OBESITY, ANXIETY? Phosphates TOXICITY?? 18

16 Do we need them? Flame retardants in furniture foam do Do not prevent fires or decrease fire hazard not slow ignitions no flame retardants with flame retardants BUT do cause health problems 19 Babrauskas 1983; Talley 1995; Mehta 2012

17 Google Playing with Fire Goldsmith Prize for InvesGgaGve ReporGng Pulitzer Prize Finalist Environmental Journalists Society 1st Place for ReporGng on the Environment 20

18 Recent Policy Actions California Furniture standard TB Smolder standard for cover fabric where fires start Increased fire safety Flame retardants not needed California Assembly Bill 127 Re-evaluates insulation flammability standards for buildings Flame retardants may not be required where they provide no fire safety benefit 21

19 What can we do? Vacuum, wet mop and hand wash to reduce exposure to dust Buy furniture with a TB label beginning Jan 1, Ask for products without flame retardants Support improved flammability standards Green chemistry research GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTE greensciencepolicy.org

20 HBO Premier Toxic Hot Seat, November 25, 2013 A film about stopping the use of the harmful and ineffective flame retardants in furniture and baby products GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTE greensciencepolicy.org

21 Take Home Points Many flame retardants on the market are associated with adverse health effects. No evidence that flame retardants in home furniture, baby products, and some other consumer products improve fire safety. Widespread contamination of water, food, and soils; distributed globally by air and water circulation; end up in food supply. Use can be reduced and fire safety maintained or increased 24 GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTE greensciencepolicy.org

22 Follow-up questions Are flame retardants present in the products you manufacture, sell, or use? How necessary are they? What alternatives have you investigated? Would you be interested in continuing this discussion? If so, contact: Sam Busener, 25 GREEN SCIENCE POLICY INSTITUTE greensciencepolicy.org