Toxic Flame Retardants

If you're like most people, you’ve probably never heard of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). But along with virtually every Canadian, you are surrounded by these chemicals.

These chemicals are used as flame retardants in a wide-range of consumer products, including TVs, computers, electronics, motor vehicles, carpets, and furniture.

Health effects of PBDE exposure include damage to the neurological, reproductive, immune, and hormonal systems. The most widely used chemical in this group, decaBDE, is also a suspected carcinogen. These toxic chemicals are released into the environment during manufacturing, and end up in household dust as products containing them degrade.

The discovery that PBDEs are rapidly accumulating in humans and the environment has raised serious concerns. Sweden has banned all these chemicals for health and environmental reasons. Many U.S. states are following suit. Legislation to ban decaBDE has been introduced in Washington, California, Maine, and Illinois.

There are currently no restrictions on the manufacture, import, sale, or use of PBDEs in Canada, despite the fact that Canadian women and killer whales have some of the world’s highest concentrations of PBDEs. PBDEs found in marine mammals increased by 7,000 per cent from 1984-2003 and continue to double every 3.5 to four years.

Many firefighters' organizations in the United States strongly support motions to ban PBDEs, because of the occupational health hazards they present to these frontline workers. Firefighters are keenly aware of the dangers of highly flammable consumer products, but they also know many alternatives to PBDEs are available today.

The good news is that the federal government is currently developing a PBDE risk management strategy. The bad news is that proposed regulations announced last December would exempt the most commonly used PBDE: decaBDE.

The David Suzuki Foundation has formally objected to the proposed regulations and advocates a ban on all PBDEs.

Reports and Resources

Backgrounder on PBDEs and Notice of Objection 
Fiche Documentaire--PBDEs
Notice of Objection to proposed federal PBDE regulations
Fact Sheet: Alternatives to PBDEs

Report: Fireproof Whales and Contaminated Mother’s Milk:
The Inadequacy of Canada’s Proposed PBDE Regulations
(24 pages--611 KB)

Press releases on Flame Retardant PBDEs

Ban all forms of toxic fire-retardant PBDE--April 24, 2007
Washington State Passes Bill to Ban PBDEs --April 4, 2007
Legal complaint highlights gaping loopholes in proposed regulations--Feb 19, 2007

Links
Ecological Screening Assessment Report on PBDEs (Environment Canada)
Proposed PBDE regulations(Government of Canada)
“About PBDEs” (CEPA Registry)
 Sierra Legal Defence Fund
Canadian Environmental Law Association
Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and the Environment
“Toxic Nation” (Environmental Defence)
Clean Production Action  
Washington Toxics Coalition
Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow
Washington State Department of Ecology
Environmental Working Group