Brominated flame retardants

Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs) refer to over 75 different bromine-containing chemicals used to inhibit ignition of combustible organic materials. Although other types of flame retardants exist, BFRs are commonly used because they are effective and cheap. However, some are also dangerous to human health. Both Tris-BP and polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) were proven harmful and phased out decades ago. However, other BFRs, like PBDEs, are still in use today despite growing evidence of their danger to human health. PBDE production constitutes 25 percent of all flame retardant production. A number of flame retardants have been found in sewage sludge.

BFRs are divided into five classes:
 * Brominated bisphenols
 * Diphenyl ethers
 * Cyclododecanes
 * Phenols
 * Phthalic acid derivatives

However, despite the number and diversity of BFRs, only five chemicals constituted the majority of BFR production as of 2004. The first three classes represent the highest production volumes. Those five are:
 * Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA)
 * Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD)
 * Decabromodiphenyl ether (DecaBDE)
 * Octabromodiphenyl ether (OctaBDE)
 * Pentabromodiphenyl ether (PentaBDE)

It should be noted that the latter three chemicals on this list are all classified as PBDEs and, as of 2010, there is action in the U.S. and abroad to phase them out. See more at the article on PBDEs.

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Biosolids
 * Sewage sludge
 * Food Rights Network
 * PBDEs
 * Flame Retardants

External resources

 * Green Science Policy Institute

External articles

 * Arlene Blum, "Flame retardants, policy, and public health: past and present," 4th International Conference on the History of Occupational and Environmental Health, June 2010
 * Arlene Blum and Linda Birnbaum, "Halogenated Flame Retardants in Consumer Products: Do the Fire Safety Benefits Justify the Health and Environmental Risks?," 5th International Symposium on Brominated Flame Retardants, April 2010
 * Arlene Blum, "Killer Couch Chemicals," Huffington Post, August 16, 2007
 * Arlene Blum, "Chemical Burns," New York Times, November 19, 2006
 * Linda S. Birnbaum and Daniele F. Staskal, "Brominated Flame Retardants: Cause for Concern?", Environmental Health Perspectives, January 1, 2004