What products contain PBDEs?

What products contain PBDEs?

Finished products that may contain PBDEs are furniture foam padding; wire insulation; rugs, draperies, and upholstery; and plastic cabinets for televisions, personal computers, and small appliances.

Are PBDEs banned in the US?

Brominated flame retardant chemicals, banned in the U.S. since 2004, still pollute the bodies of newborn American babies, according to a new study from Indiana University scientists. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs, were once widely used in products including furniture foam and electronics.

Is PBDEs natural?

Technical Fact Sheet – PBDEs ❖ There are no known natural sources of PBDEs, except for a few marine organisms that produce forms of PBDEs that contain higher levels of oxygen (ATSDR 2015). ❖ PBDEs are structurally similar to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

What do PBDEs do?

PBDEs are found in a variety of consumer products, from TVs and toasters to mattresses and drapes. These chemicals are intended to slow the rate of ignition and fire growth, allowing people more time to escape from a fire or extinguish it.

What are PBDEs in the Great Lakes?

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a class of substances used as flame retardants in a wide variety of products since the 1970s. According to Environment Canada (2011) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2010), PBDEs are a group of 209 chemical compounds, referred to as congeners.

Where is PBDEs from?

They are released into the environment at industrial manufacturing sites as well as leached from common household products. The main non-point source of PBDEs is household trash (e.g., furniture, bedding, foam cushions, and electronics).

Is flame retardant harmful to humans?

Flame Retardants have been shown to cause neurological damage, hormone disruption, and cancer. One of the biggest dangers of some flame retardants is that they bioaccumulate in humans, causing long-term chronic health problems as bodies contain higher and higher levels of these toxic chemicals.

Are PBDE banned?

The compounds, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs – were banned after evidence emerged that they were doubling in women’s breast milk every five years. Studies suggest that PBDEs can disrupt thyroid hormones in pregnant women and newborns.

Is PBDE banned in Australia?

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) were used intensively as flame retardants, worldwide. Commercial Penta- and Octa-PBDE mixtures were banned in Australia in 2005, while HBCDD was banned worldwide in 2013.

Where are Pbdes highest in the Great Lakes?

The highest concentrations are found in parts of Lake Ontario; Western Lake Erie between Detroit and Toldeo, and central Lake Erie offshore of Cleveland.

Where are flame retardants found?

Flame retardants are often added or applied to the following products. Furnishings, such as foam, upholstery, mattresses, carpets, curtains, and fabric blinds. Electronics and electrical devices, such as computers, laptops, phones, televisions, and household appliances, plus wires and cables.

What do flame retardants cause?

What are PBDEs and what are they used for?

PBDEs, or polybrominated diphenyl ethers, are a class of fire retardant chemicals. As part of NOAA’s Mussel Watch Program, PBDEs are one of 150 different contaminants that are continually monitored by periodically sampling bivalves and sediment at 300 coastal sites around the nation. PBDEs are found in a variety of consumer products,

Where are PBDEs found in the United States?

As part of NOAA’s Mussel Watch Program, PBDEs are one of 150 different contaminants that are continually monitored by periodically sampling bivalves and sediment at 300 coastal sites around the nation. PBDEs are found in a variety of consumer products, from TVs and toasters to mattresses and drapes.

How are polybrominated diphenyl ethers ( PBDEs ) classified as chemicals?

PBDEs are classified according to the average number of bromine atoms in the molecule. The health hazards of these chemicals have attracted increasing scrutiny, and they have been shown to reduce fertility in humans at levels found in households. Their chlorine analogs are polychlorinated diphenyl ethers (PCDEs).

How are PBDEs classified according to their health hazards?

PBDEs are classified according to the average number of bromine atoms in the molecule. The health hazards of these chemicals have attracted increasing scrutiny, and they have been shown to reduce fertility in humans at levels found in households.