Flame Retardants a nd Healthy Buildings Arlene Blum PhD Green Science Policy Institute wwwgreensciencepolicyorg SixClassesorg We can reduce harmful chemicals for a healthier world ID: 557665
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Flammability Standards, Flame Retardants, and Healthy BuildingsArlene Blum, PhDGreen Science Policy Institute www.greensciencepolicy.orgSlide2
SixClasses.org We can reduce harmful chemicals for a healthier world.
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Periodic table of elementsHalogens
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SixClasses.orgSome solvents benzene, methylene chloride, xylene, etc. Some heavy metals lead, mercury, chromium, cadmium, arsenic, etc.Endocrine disrupting plasticizers BPA, phthalates, etc.
Fluorinated chemicals
stain and water repellants
Chlorinated antimicrobials
triclosan and triclocarban
Flame retardants
brominated, chlorinated, phosphate
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F
17
Cl
35
Br
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Flame retardants are used to meet flammability standards1973 Furniture flammability standard TB117 (Standard mandated by California legislation)1976 Uniform Building Code for foam plastic insulations (Private code body)
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Why are flame retardants in furniture & baby products?California Technical Bulletin 117:Required filling inside furniture to withstand a small open flame for 12 secondsNo significant fire safety benefit (fires start in fabric covers, not in fillings)
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PentaBDE flame retardantUsed from 1975 to 2004 to meet TB117. Chemical structure similar to PCBs, dioxins & furans.Globally banned as a persistent organic pollutant (POP)
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Furan
Dioxin
Combustion Products
PBDE
PCBSlide8
FirefightersElevated rates of multiple myeloma non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma prostate and testicular cancersAssociated with dioxin/furan exposure.
G.K.
LeMasters
, et al, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 48(11): 1189-202(2006).
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R.D. Daniels,
et al
, Occupational
and Environmental
Medicine
oemed
-2013-101662Published Online First: 14 October 2013Slide9
Animal health effectsChronic toxicity: long term impactsEndocrine disruption: Interference with thyroid hormone action Neurodevelopment
: Decreased memory, learning deficits, altered motor behavior, hyperactivityReproductive system effects
:
Abnormal gonadal development, reduced ovarian follicles, reduced sperm count
Immune suppression
Cancer
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PentaBDE human health associations 14associated with
Higher pentaBDE
lower birth weight
impaired attention
poorer coordination
lowered IQ
longer time to get pregnant
altered thyroid hormones
Eskenazi et al, 2010, 2011, 2012
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Flame retardants move from products to people
1
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THE PROBLEM: 17Most Chemicals Are NOT Effectively Regulated in the U.S.The U.S. Toxic Substances Control Act (1976)62,000 chemicals in commerce “grandfathered”
20,000 new chemicals have been introduced85% have no health data
67% have no data at all
Michael Wilson, Green Chemistry in California: http://coeh.berkeley.edu/news/06_wilson_policy.htm
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Regrettable Substitutions?
Kid’s PJs
Brominated Tris
MUTAGEN
X
Chlorinated Tris
MUTAGEN
X
Chlorinated Tris
Furniture, baby products
PentaBDE
Firemaster 550
CARCINOGEN
X
TOXIC, PERSISTANT, BIOACCUMULATIVE
X
OBESITY, ANXIETY?
Phosphates
TOXICITY??
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Do we need them?Flame retardants in furniture foam do not significantly slow ignitions
Do not prevent fires or decrease fire hazard
Babrauskas
1983; Talley 1995;
Mehta 2012
no flame retardants
with flame retardants
BUT do cause health problems
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Google
Playing with Fire
Pulitzer Prize
Finalist
Goldsmith Prize
Investigative Reporting
Environmental Journalists Society
Environmental Reporting
Gerald Loeb Award
Business and Financial Journalism
National Press Club
Consumer Award
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California Flammability Standard TB117-2013Implement on January 1st, 2014 Mandatory on January 1st, 2015
85% fabrics already pass15% need non-FR polyester batting between fabric and foam
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TB117 and baby productsDecember 2010: three exempted
January 1, 2014: 15 more exempted
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Vacuum, wet mop and hand wash to reduce exposure to dustBuy furniture with a TB117-2013 label as they become available. Ask for products without flame retardantsWhat can consumers do?http
://greensciencepolicy.org/consumers
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Recent Policy Actions California Furniture standard TB117-2013Smolder standard for cover fabric where fires startIncreased fire safetyFlame retardants not neededCalifornia Assembly Bill 127 for buildings
Re-evaluates insulation flammability standards “Provide manufacturers with flexibility in meeting the flammability standards, with or without the addition of chemical flame
retardants…”
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Plastic foam insulations
p
olystyrene (XPS
and
EPS)
polyurethane
polyisocyanurate
HBCD
TCPP
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HBCD animal health effects
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Average HBCD (
ng
/g)
Thyroid disruption
Affects the developing nervous system
Developmental neurotoxicity in mice
HBCD is
bioaccumulativeSlide22
19 October 2012, Geneva– A UN expert body has recommended that the industrial flame retardant hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) be eliminated from the global marketplace to protect human health and the environment.
HBCD is a persistent organic pollutant (POP)
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EmeraldTM 3000CAS: 1195978-93-8Copolymer of polystyrene and brominated polybutadiene
Replacement for HBCD in EPS and XPS insulationChemtura production plant being built in China
EPA predicts possibly
-toxic from inhalation?
-persistent, and
bioaccumulative
January 2012
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TCPP animal health studies
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Potential carcinogen
Accumulates in liver and kidneys
Affects nervous system development
More study needed
?
TCPP
TDCPP
CARCINOGEN
TCEP
CARCINOGENSlide25
Is there a fire safety benefit?
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Majority of fire deaths from inhalation of toxic gases
Average percent of flame and fire deaths by cause, 1979-2007
63% smoke inhalation
28% burns
22% both
2% other
Hall, NFPA 2011
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Lifecycle Considerations
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Flame Retardant
Manufacture
Product
Manufacture
Consumer
Use
Disposal:
Recycling
Reuse
Combustion
Landfilling
Fire
Incidence
Fire Service,
Emergency
Responders
Workers
General Population
Flame retardants in the environment
DioxinsSlide28
Take Home Points
Many flame retardants are associated with adverse health effects.
No evidence that flame retardants in home furniture, baby products,
and building
insulation behind thermal barriers improve fire safety.
Widespread contamination of water, food, and soils; distributed globally by air and water circulation
;
end up in food supply.
Use can be reduced and fire safety maintained or increased
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