Prevalence of historical and replacement brominated flame retardant chemicals in New York City homes

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Abstract

Background

Until their phase-out between 2005 and 2013, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were added to household products including furniture, rugs, and electronics to meet flammability standards. Replacement brominated flame retardant (BFR) chemicals, including 2-ethylhexyl-2,3,4,5 tetrabromobenzoate (TBB) and bis(2-ethylhexyl) 2,3,4,5-tetrabromophthalate (TBPH), which are components of the Firemaster 550 ^® commercial mixture, are now being used to meet some flammability standards in furniture. The objective of this analysis was to evaluate the extent to which mothers and their children living in New York City are exposed to PBDEs, TBB, and TBPH.

Methods

We measured PBDEs, TBB, and TBPH using gas chromatography mass spectrometry in dust (n = 25) and handwipe (n = 11) samples collected between 2012 and 2013 from mothers and children living in New York City. We defined dust as enriched if the proportional distribution for a given BFR exceeded two-thirds of the total BFR content.

Results

We detected PBDEs and TBPH in 100% of dust and handwipe samples and TBB in 100% of dust samples and 95% of handwipe samples. Dust from approximately two-thirds of households was enriched for either PBDEs (n = 9) or for TBB + TBPH (n = 8). Overall, the median house dust concentration of TBB + TBPH (1318 ng/g dust) was higher than that of ΣPentaBDE (802 ng/g dust) and BDE-209 (1171 ng/g dust). Children generally had higher BFR handwipe concentrations compared to mothers (ΣPentaBDE: 73%, BDE-209: 64%, TBB + TBPH: 55%) and within households, BFR concentrations from paired maternal-child handwipes were highly correlated. Among mothers, we found a significant positive relation between house dust and handwipe BDE-209 and TBB + TBPH concentrations.

Conclusion

PBDEs, TBB and TBPH are ubiquitous in house dust and handwipes in a sample of mother-child pairs residing in New York City.

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Most cited references 21

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An overview of commercially used brominated flame retardants, their applications, their use patterns in different countries/regions and possible modes of release.

Mehran Alaee, Pedro Arias, Andreas Sjödin … (2003)

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are used in a variety of consumer products and several of those are produced in large quantities. These compounds have been detected in environmental samples, which can be attributed to the anthropogenic uses of these compounds. Brominated flame retardants are produced via direct bromination of organic molecules or via addition of bromine to alkenes; hence, an overview of the production and usage of bromine over the past three decades is covered. Production, application, and environmental occurrence of high production brominated flame retardants including Tetrabromobisphenol A, polybrominated biphenyls, Penta-, Octa-, Deca-brominated diphenyl ether (oxide) formulation and hexabromocyclododecane are discussed.

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Human exposure to PBDE and critical evaluation of health hazards.

Victoria Linares, Montserrat Bellés, José Domingo (2015)

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are used in large quantities as flame-retardant additives in a number of commercial products. Biomonitoring data show that, in recent years, PBDE concentrations have increased rapidly in the bodies of wildlife and humans. Usually, PBDE levels in North America have been reported to be higher than those in Europe and Asia. Moreover, body burden of PBDEs is three- to ninefold higher in infants and toddlers than in adults, showing these last two age groups the highest levels of these compounds, due to exposure via maternal milk and through dust. Tetra-, Penta-, and Hexa-BDEs are the isomers most commonly found in humans. Based on studies on experimental animals, the toxicological endpoints of exposure to PBDEs are likely to be thyroid homeostasis disruption, neurodevelopmental deficits, reproductive changes, and even cancer. Experimental studies in animals and epidemiological observations in humans suggest that PBDEs may be developmental neurotoxicants. Pre- and/or postnatal exposure to PBDEs may cause long-lasting behavioral abnormalities, particularly on motor activity and cognition. This paper is focused on reviewing the current status of PBDEs in the environment, as well as the critical adverse health effects based on the recent studies on the toxic effects of PBDEs.

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Novel and High Volume Use Flame Retardants in US Couches Reflective of the 2005 PentaBDE Phase Out

Heather Stapleton, Smriti Sharma, Gordon Getzinger … (2012)

California’s furniture flammability standard Technical Bulletin 117 (TB 117) is believed to be a major driver of chemical flame retardant (FR) use in residential furniture in the United States. With the phase-out of the polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) FR mixture PentaBDE in 2005, alternative FRs are increasingly being used to meet TB 117; however, it was unclear which chemicals were being used and how frequently. To address this data gap, we collected and analyzed 102 samples of polyurethane foam from residential couches purchased in the United States from 1985 to 2010. Overall, we detected chemical flame retardants in 85% of the couches. In samples purchased prior to 2005 (n = 41) PBDEs associated with the PentaBDE mixture including BDEs 47, 99, and 100 (PentaBDE) were the most common FR detected (39%), followed by tris(1,3-dichloroisopropyl) phosphate (TDCPP; 24%), which is a suspected human carcinogen. In samples purchased in 2005 or later (n = 61) the most common FRs detected were TDCPP (52%) and components associated with the Firemaster550 (FM 550) mixture (18%). Since the 2005 phase-out of PentaBDE, the use of TDCPP increased significantly. In addition, a mixture of nonhalogenated organophosphate FRs that included triphenyl phosphate (TPP), tris(4-butylphenyl) phosphate (TBPP), and a mix of butylphenyl phosphate isomers were observed in 13% of the couch samples purchased in 2005 or later. Overall the prevalence of flame retardants (and PentaBDE) was higher in couches bought in California compared to elsewhere, although the difference was not quite significant (p = 0.054 for PentaBDE). The difference was greater before 2005 than after, suggesting that TB 117 is becoming a de facto standard across the U.S. We determined that the presence of a TB 117 label did predict the presence of a FR; however, lack of a label did not predict the absence of a flame retardant. Following the PentaBDE phase out, we also found an increased number of flame retardants on the market. Given these results, and the potential for human exposure to FRs, health studies should be conducted on the types of FRs identified here.

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Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-journal-id): 101705372

Journal ID (pubmed-jr-id): 46512

Journal ID (nlm-ta): Emerg Contam

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): Emerg Contam

Title: Emerging contaminants

ISSN (Print): 2405-6650

ISSN (Electronic): 2405-6642

Publication date Nihms-submitted: 18 May 2017

Publication date (Electronic): 20 January 2017

Publication date (Print): March 2017

Publication date PMC-release: 06 October 2017

Volume: 3

Issue: 1

Pages: 32-39

Affiliations

[a ]Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, United States

[b ]Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, United States

[c ]Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, United States

Author notes

[* ]Corresponding author. Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, 12th Fl, Mailman School of Public Health, 722 West 168 ^th St, New York, NY 10032, United States.jh2678@ 123456cumc.columbia.edu (J.B. Herbstman)

Article

Manuscript ID: NIHMS872073

DOI: 10.1016/j.emcon.2017.01.001

PMC ID: 5630167

SO-VID: d0d1b1d1-7e2a-4b0c-a22c-f407db0a41a2

License:

Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Prevalence of historical and replacement brominated flame retardant chemicals in New York City homes

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Abstract

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Methods

Results

Conclusion

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Special issue: Re-imagining the City: Urban Space in the Post-Covid City

Most cited references 21

An overview of commercially used brominated flame retardants, their applications, their use patterns in different countries/regions and possible modes of release.

Human exposure to PBDE and critical evaluation of health hazards.

Novel and High Volume Use Flame Retardants in US Couches Reflective of the 2005 PentaBDE Phase Out

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