Number

159-EN

Section

General Section

Use

Abstract

Commercial PentaBDE is a brominated flame retardant that is likely to cause significant adverse effects on human health and the environment. Components of c-PentaBDE are widespread in the global environment and poses risks to health and the environment. There are toxicological and ecotoxicological data gaps for the potential alternatives to c-PentaBDE. However, the data available clearly show that there are commercially available alternative flame retardants that are less hazardous than c-PentaBDE.

Substituted substances

Alternative Substances

Reliability of information

Evidence of implementation: there is evidence that the solution was implemented and in use at time of publication
Internet information: data are from an internet document and only a basic and partial evaluation could be performed

Reason substitution

CMR
PBT
ED
neurotoxicant
ecotoxicity

Other type of alternative

This case story relates a number of techniques, some which are non-chemical in nature. Among these are intumescent, or swelling systems as well as barrier materials.

Hazard Assessment

Substances to be substituted: C-pentaBDE (BDE 99) is very toxic to aquatic life, is very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects, may cause harm to breast-fed children and may cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure. The substance is a PBT/vPvB according to OSPAR - section A, as listed in the Substance Database according to SUBSPORTplus Screening Criteria (SDSC). C-tetraBDE (BDE 47) has no harmonised classification according to Annex VI of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP Regulation). Alternative substances: None of the alternatives are on the SDSC and they have no harmonised classification according to Annex VI of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP Regulation).

Description of Substitution

Chemical flame retardants are either additive or reactive. Additive flame retardants are incorporated into the polymer prior to, during, or more frequently after polymerisation, and do not chemically bond to the polymer.They may therefore be released from the polymer and thereby also discharged to the environment. Reactive flame retardants are added during the polymerisation process and become an integral part of the polymer. The result is a modified polymer with flame retardant properties and different molecular structure compared to the original polymer molecule. This enables the polymer to keep the flame retardant properties intact over time with very low emissions to the environment. A large group of additive flame retardants are polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which include all congeners of commercial PentaBDE (c-PentaBDE). C-PentaBDE consists mainly of tetrabromodiphenylether (congener BDE-47) and pentabromodiphenylether (congener BDE-99). Most trend analyses show a rapid increase in concentrations of c-PentaBDE components in the environment and in humans from the early 1970s to the middle or end of the 1990s. Vulnerable ecosystems and species are affected, among them several endangered species. Some individuals of endangered species show levels high enough to be of concern. Toxicological studies have demonstrated reproductive toxicity, neurodevelopmental toxicity and effects on thyroid hormones in aquatic organisms and in mammals. The main historic use of c-PentaBDE was in flexible polyurethane foam (PUR), but it has also been used in epoxy resins, PVC, unsaturated thermosetting polyesters (UPE), rubber, paints and lacquers, textiles and hydraulic oils. C-PentaBDE has been produced in Israel, Japan, US and the EU. This production ceased in the beginning of this millennium, but it might still be produced in other regions. The use of c-PentaBDE was banned in EU in 2004. New flame retardant solutions are constantly introduced and some disappear from the market for a number of reasons. Each flame retardant application is specific and unique, and there is no single universal solution for fire protection of materials and applications. The report Guidance on Alternative Flame Retardants to the use of Commercial pentabromodiphenylether provides a chart listing alternative to PentaBDE in several materials and applications, as well as a simple overview of the toxicity and ecotoxicity of these. Potential alternatives listed include e.g. aluminium hydroxide, magnesium hydroxides, and other chemical compounds. Intumescent, or swelling, systems are also discussed as an alternative. Intumescent systems include use of expandable graphite impregnated foams, surface treatments and barrier technologies of polymer materials.

Case/substitution evaluation

This case study is a guidance to alternatives to C-PentaBDE, of which many are in use. There are possible concerns with most of these alternatives and further research is needed for proper health and environmental risk evaluations, but from existing data one can conclude that there are less hazardous alternatives to C-PentaBDE.

State of implementation

In use

Availability ofAlternative

On the market and under development, depending on alternative.

Producer/Provider

www.swerea.se

Type of information supplier

Authority
Research

Contact

The report was carried out by Swerea, on behalf of the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority (SFT) www.swerea.se

Further information

C-PentaBDE was listed as a persistant organic pollutant under the Stockholm Convention in 2009, following the report Risk profile on commercial pentabromodiphenyl ether (UNEP/POPS/POPRC.2/17/Add.1)" adopted by the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee in 2006. The report summarizes health and environmental concerns with C-PentaBDE, and is elaborated using information submitted by countries and nongovernmental organizations, national reports from web sites for environment protection agencies in different countries, contact and submissions from Norwegian research institutes, the bromine industry, EMEP and AMAP. Guidance on feasible flame-retardant alternatives to commercial pentabromodiphenyl ether - 2009 (UNEP/POPS/COP.4/INF24) Guidance for the inventory of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) listed under the Stockholm Convention on POPs (Latest version of the guidance 2017)

Type of publication and availability

Freely available

Publication source: author, company, institute, year

Posner, S. (2009) ”Guidance on alternative flame retardants to the use of commercial pentabromodiphenylether (c-PentaBDE) ”, Norwegian Pollution control Authority (SFT) on behalf of UNEP, United Nations.

Publication source

Type of publication and availability

http://chm.pops.int/Portals/0/download.aspx?d=UNEP-POPS-NPOPS-GUID-PentaBDE-FlameRetAlternatives.En.pdf

Date, reviewed

November 26, 2021