What does polybrominated diphenyl ethers do to you?

What does polybrominated diphenyl ethers do to you?

What are the routes of exposure and the potential health effects of PBDEs? ❖ Studies in rats and mice show that PBDEs cause neurotoxicity, developmental neurotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, thyroid toxicity, immunotoxicity, liver toxicity, pancreas effects (diabetes) and cancer (penta and decabromodiphenyl ether).

Where are polybrominated diphenyl ethers found?

PBDEs have been detected in coastal and estuarine environments. They have also been found in the air, soil, sediments, humans, wildlife, fish and other marine life, and sewage treatment plant biosolids.

Is PBDE a neurotoxin?

They are developmental neurotoxicants in animals. No human studies have assessed the developing neurotoxicity of PBDEs. However, PBDEs in umbilical cord blood were associated with adverse birth outcomes, including lower birth weight and head circumference, as well as increased incidence of undescended testes.

How are PBDEs used?

The PBDEs are major components of commercial formulations often used as fire retardants in furniture foam, plastics for TV cabinets, consumer electronics, wire insulation, and back-coatings for draperies and upholstery, and plastics for personal computers and small appliances.

What contains polybrominated diphenyl ethers?

Finished products that may contain PBDEs are furniture foam padding; wire insulation; rugs, draperies, and upholstery; and plastic cabinets for televisions, personal computers, and small appliances.

Where are polybrominated biphenyls used?

PBBs are used as flame retardants of the brominated flame retardant group. They are added to plastics used in products such as home electrical appliances, textiles, plastic foams, laptop cabinets, etc. to make them difficult to burn.

Where is polybrominated biphenyls used?

Are PBDEs still used?

Flame retardant manufacturers in the U.S. voluntarily stopped producing the PentaBDE (used in furniture foam) and OctaBDE (used in electronic products) varieties of PBDEs in 2004 and have begun producing alternative flame retardants; however, DecaBDE continues to be produced and used in the U.S., primarily in …

What are the main commercial mixtures of PBDEs?

Three commercial PBDE mixtures have been produced and used in the United States and elsewhere: commercial pentabromodiphenyl ether (c-pentaBDE), commercial octabromodiphenyl ether (c-octaBDE), and commercial decabromodiphenyl ether (c-decaBDE).

Are polybrominated diphenyl ethers banned?

DecaBDE, along with other PBDEs, has been banned for use in electrical and electronic equipment since 2008 under the Directive on the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (2011/65/EU).

What are PBDEs found in?

PBDEs are found in a variety of consumer products, from TVs and toasters to mattresses and drapes. These chemicals are intended to slow the rate of ignition and fire growth, allowing people more time to escape from a fire or extinguish it.

What are polybrominated diphenyl ethers?

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers or PBDEs, are organobromine compounds that are used as flame retardant. Like other brominated flame retardants, PBDEs have been used in a wide array of products, including building materials, electronics, furnishings, motor vehicles, airplanes, plastics, polyurethane foams, and textiles.

What is octabromodiphenyl ether made of?

In similar manner, commercial octabromodiphenyl ether is a mixture of homologs: hexa-, hepta-, octa-, nona-, and decabromides. Since the 1990s, environmental concerns were raised because of the high hydrophobicity of PBDEs and their high resistance to degradation processes.

Is pentabromodiphenyl ether a mixture or compound?

The commercial mixture, named pentabromodiphenyl ether contains the pentabromo derivative predominantly (50–62%); however, the mixture also contains tetrabromides (24–38%) and hexabromides (4–8%), as well as traces of the tribromides (0–1%). In similar manner, commercial octabromodiphenyl ether is a mixture…

What are the characteristics of brominated congeners of PBDEs?

 Higher brominated congeners of PBDE tend to bind to sediment or soil particles more than lower brominated congeners ( ATSDR 2015).  PBDEs do not dissolve easily in water and bind strongly to soil or sediment particles.