Flame retardents voluntarily withdrawn

[GAspnes]

http://www.sciencenews.org/20031101/fob1.asp

As it turns out, the U.S. manufacturer of both flame retardants has taken things into its own hands.

n Oct. 24, EPA issued a terse statement: "Great Lakes Chemical Corp. has initiated discussions with EPA regarding a possible voluntary phaseout of penta- and octa-PBDEs along with a full evaluation of a viable alternative." This week, Great Lakes spokesperson Wendy Chance acknowledged that her Indianapolis-based company had prompted the discussions and would "work aggressively with on the issue."

PBDEs are molecules that can hold up to 10 bromine atoms in 209 different configurations, or congeners. Commercial mixtures of PBDEs used as flame retardants are typically dominated by congeners with a given number of bromines. The penta mix, with mostly 5-bromine PBDEs, is used to make foams, paints, and wire coatings resistant to burning. The octa formulation, with mostly 8-bromine PBDEs, is used primarily to flameproof plastic casings on office equipment.

PBDEs leach from treated products and have become ubiquitous, including in the bodies of people (SN: 10/13/01, p. 238: http://www.sciencenews.org/20011013/bob18.asp). More troubling, new animal data indicate that penta and octa mixes can poison reproductive, nervous, and hormonal systems (SN: 10/25/03, p. 266: http://www.sciencenews.org/20031025/bob10.asp). Manufacturers of the flame retardants estimate that their products save at least 300 U.S. lives annually.

It's becoming more and more apparent that we need to prohibit, rather than permit, chemicals in the environment.