Flame retardants: what to know about chemicals in furniture and cables

What are flame retardants?

Since the 1970s, hundreds of chemicals have been used to stop the spread of fire in a wide range of common household items and other products, with industry and emergency services hailing them as saving lives.

• Common flame retardants, which are generally grouped according to their chemical composition, include: brominated flame retardants (the most commonly used), OFRs, TBBPA, HBCD and OPFRs. Brominated flame retardants belong to the same class of chemicals as PCBs, which were banned by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1979.

• These chemicals are considered persistent and bioaccumulate, or become concentrated inside the bodies of living things.

What are flame retardants in?

• Furniture foams, carpets, curtains and other textiles, paints, food packaging, surfboards, home insulation, appliances, toys, electronics (laptops, televisions, phones, cables, wires and circuit boards), car seats and other automotive parts, and many baby products.

• Even as some flame retardants have been phased out of the market, they remain in the environment, people and animals. While three of the more than 200 types of PBDE chemicals – a type of flame retardant – have been voluntarily phased out or banned by the EPA since 2003. The agency notes some reports indicate levels of these banned substances are still increasing in the environment, possibly as a result of other substances degrading into their component parts. PBDEs were dubbed a “chemical of mutual concern” in 2016 by the International Joint Commission, which helps manage water bodies between US and Canada, because “research has shown PBDEs are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic to both humans and the environment”.

• Some flame retardants can contaminate animals and have been found in fish and other foods. A 2012 study by the University of Texas found low levels of HBCD, a type of brominated flame retardants, in 40% of a small sample of foods from Dallas supermarkets. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a federal public health agency, noted in a 2017 public health statement on PBDEs that fatty foods, such as fish, might be one way people are exposed to the chemicals. The agency also notes PBDEs are found in low concentrations in breast milk.

Can flame retardants cause harm?

Scientists have found exposure to flame retardants can affect the nervous and reproductive system and more. An EPA report related to the risk evaluation process for HBCD, a type of flame retardant, references multiple studies finding potential effects on liver and thyroid function and the endocrine system. Some chemicals have also been linked to cancer.

• Children are most vulnerable because their bodies and brains are developing, and they are often more exposed to flame retardant-laden products, such as carpets, toys and other items. Generally, people are exposed to these chemicals through household dust, contaminated food, air or water.

• Some flame retardants like PBDEs may be linked to neurodevelopmental problems, including impaired cognition and ADHD, particularly if exposure occurs at a very young age, according to the ATSDR, although human studies are inconclusive. A 2016 report co-authored by EPA researchers foundas concentrations of most PBDEs in breast milk of American mothers are declining, one type may be increasing for unknown reasons.

• Scientists have found evidence linking flame retardants to a range of health effects. A 2010 study by the University of Berkeley and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) discovered exposure to PBDEs was associated with changes in thyroid hormones among pregnant women, with possible health implications for both mother and baby. University researchers have found PBDEs to have hormone-mimicking effects and may be associated with earlier menstruation among girls. The ATSDR has noted possible links between PBDEs and male reproductive problems, including undescended testes, and the National Toxicology Program concluded in 2015 that DE-71, a type of PBDE, displayed carcinogenic to animals. The National Toxicology Program found TBBPA, another type of flame retardant, caused cancer in mice.

How can consumers limit any risks?

• Inhalation of household dust is believed to be the main way people are exposed to flame retardants. They can also be ingested through food or absorbed through the skin.

• Limit your exposure in the house by keeping dust levels down by wet-mopping, vacuuming with a HEPA filter and keeping HVAC systems clean.

• Wash your hands before eating since hand-to-mouth contact can lead to flame retardant exposure – an especially important tip for children.

• If possible avoid buying furniture and baby products filled with polyurethane foam, especially if its going to be a durable, long term item in your home. Some furniture manufacturers are increasingly making products restricting the use of these chemicals.

• Test your well water for PBDEs and don’t let children eat dirt or play near waste sites and factories (some flame retardants are known to bind to soil).

How are they regulated?

Several classes of fire retardants, in use for decades, are in the midst of an EPA review process, which began in 2015. Other similar chemicals have been cleared for use by the agency.

• The Consumer Product Safety Commission voted in 2017 to ban OFRs from certain products, but no enforceable rules yet exist.

• PBDEs began to be voluntarily phased out in 2004 and some states, including California, Washington and Maine, have moved to ban flame retardants in certain applications.

• But some replacement chemicals appear to also have potential health effects. North Carolina State University researchers found Firemaster 550, a newer fire retardant meant to replace PBDEs, may be an endocrine disrupter and cause obesity in animal studies. Manufacturer Chemtura says on its website numerous studies have found the Firemaster 550 is “less likely to bioaccumulate than the product it replaced”.

• PBDE continues to be detected in the environment and population, according to ongoing research by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control and university partners.

• In Europe the use and export of, brominated flame retardants have been banned or severely restricted.

• PBDEs are still used in plastic manufacturing in China.