Number

363-EN

Section

General Section

Use

Abstract

The case summarises information from a report from Danish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the use of the brominated flame retardant DecaBDE in electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), and describes suitable alternatives to Deca-BDE. The study has not identified any application of Deca-BDE in EEE for which substitution is not possible, from the scientific or technical point of view. The report lists 25 alternative substances. Some of these are halogenated and will not be listed in this case description.

Substituted substances

Alternative Substances

Reliability of information

Evidence of assessment: there is evidence of an official (positive) assessment of the substitution
Internet information: data are from an internet document and only a basic and partial evaluation could be performed

Reason substitution

PBT
physical hazards
ecotoxicity

Hazard Assessment

Substance to be substituted: DecaBDE is a hormone disruptive compound and an environmentally persistent pollutant. Deca BDE has no harmonised classification according to Annex VI of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP Regulation) but it is of high concern due to its persistence, being a PBT/vPvB according to OSPAR - section A, as listed in the Substance Database according to SUBSPORTplus Screening Criteria (SDSC).And it is restricted in the EU due to the Regulation (EU) 2019/1021. Alternative substance: Many of the alternatives mentioned are halogenated compounds that can hold other hazardous properties, and have yet to be fully evaluated. Others are based on phosphorous compounds and inorganic salts that seem to be less problematic from a health perspective. Further research on the biological impact of these compounds is still recommended. Examples are: Phosphorus (red) is a flammable solid and harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects. Melamine polyphosphate, magnesium hydroxide and ammonium polyphosphate have no harmonised classification according to Annex VI of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 (CLP Regulation).

Description of Substitution

The report summarises: "Substitution of Deca-BDE in a given polymer application can basically take place at three levels: 1. DecaBDE can be replaced by another flame retardant with adequate properties without changing the resin. 2. The plastic material, i.e. the resin with flame retardants and other additives, can be replaced by another plastic material (incl. copolymers) with adequate properties. 3. The need for flame retardants can be eliminated by design changes, or the entire product can be replaced by a different product with adequate performance. In this study an alternative is defined as a flame retardant that can substitute Deca-BDE in a specific application. A number of 25 selected alternative flame retardants and the types of plastic in which each may be used are listed. This study has not identified any application of DecaBDE in electrical and electronic equipment for which substitution is not possible, from the scientific or technical point of view. For all EEE materials and components presently using DecaBDE, technically acceptable alternatives are available on the market. The widespread use of alternatives, and availability of EEE components without DecaBDE, is indicated by the fact that a large number of the world's major manufacturers of EEE have phased out the use of Deca-BDE in their products." The list of alternatives includes only flame retardants that can be used to obtain plastics meeting the UL 94 vertical flame test, the V-0 grade plastics that are in direct contact with current bearing metal parts of EEE.

Case/substitution evaluation

For all EEE materials and components presently using DecaBDE, technically acceptable alternatives are available on the market. There are 25 alternatives to DecaBDE listed in the report, but a majority of those are still halogenated compounds that might have adverse properties. The most feasible alternatives are based on phosphorous or inorganic salts. This document should therefore serve as a guide to further substitution research.

State of implementation

In use

Enterprise using the alternative

Companies that have contributed to the report are listed by name, and can be contacted.

Availability ofAlternative

On the market

Type of information supplier

Authority
User

Contact

Miljøstyrelse (Danish EPA) Strandgade 29 1401 København K mst@mst.dk www.mst.dk

Type of publication and availability

Report The Danish Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Project no. 1141, 2007: Deca-BDE and Alternatives in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Free access

Publication source: author, company, institute, year

Danish EPA 2007

Publication source

Type of publication and availability

http://www2.mst.dk/udgiv/publications/2007/978-87-7052-349-3/pdf/978-87-7052-350-9.pdf

Date, reviewed

November 26, 2021