Phasing Out Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers PBDEs and PBTs

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Phasing Out Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers
(PBDEs) and PBTs
Out of Harms Way Preventing Toxic Threats to
our Childrens Health October 15, 2005 Spokane,
WA
Steven G. Gilbert, PhD, DABT www.asmalldoseof.org
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Infant Child Health
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Vision for Child Health
Children can develop and mature in an
environment that allows them to reach and
maintain their full potential.
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Purpose of PBDEs
PolyBrominated Diphenyl Ether

• Fire kills more than 3,000/year
• Injures more than 20,000
• 11 billion in damage
• Flame retardants
• Used in many consumer products

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Structure of PBDEs
PolyBrominated Diphenyl Ether
X Y are number of Bromine atoms e.g. decaPBDE
has 10 Bromines
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How much PBDEs are used?
Millions of lbs used/year (2001)
Total world-wide 148.3 M lbs/yr
Data from BSEF (2001)
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PBDEs in Consumer Products
Plastics - Deca, Octa, Penta Computers,
televisions, hair dryers, curling irons, copy
machines, fax machines, printers, coffee makers,
plastic automotive parts, lighting panels, PVC
wire and cables, electrical connectors, fuses,
housings, boxes and switches, lamp sockets,
waste-water pipes, underground junction boxes,
circuit boards, smoke detectors Textiles - Deca,
Penta Back coatings and impregnation of home and
office furniture, industrial drapes, carpets,
automotive seating, aircraft and train seating
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PBDEs in Consumer Products
Polyurethane foam - Penta Home and office
furniture (couches and chairs, carpet padding,
mattresses and mattress pads) automobile, bus,
plane and train seating, sound insulation panels,
imitation wood, packaging materials Rubber -
Deca, Penta Conveyor belts, foamed pipes for
insulation, rubber cables Paints and lacquers -
Deca, Penta Marine and industry protective
lacquers and paints
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Degradation of PBDEs

• Sunlight / UV light breaks down PBDEs (encourages
  debromination)
• Slower to break down in doors increased in door
  exposure to deca
• Debrominates to more toxic PBDEs

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Transport of PBDEs

• Atmospheric transport found in artic sediment,
  mussels and animals
• Remote Canadian lakes
• Island in Baltic
• Indoor dust

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PBDEs in House Dust (ppb)
From EWG - Toxic Fire Retardants Contaminate
American Homes - http//www.ewg.org/reports/inthed
ust/summary.php
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Bioavailability of PBDEs

• Found in animals
• Increase in fish
• Increase in whales
• Sewage sludge
• PCBs Found in Lake Washington Fish (PBDEs next?)
• Found in human (breast milk)

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PBDEs Breast Milk - Sweden
(Norén and Mieronyté, 1998)
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PBDEs in Breast Milk (ppb)
From EWG - Toxic Fire Retardants in Breast Milk
from American Mothers - http//www.ewg.org/reports
/mothersmilk/es.php
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WA State PBDEs Burdens

• Flame Retardants In Puget Sound Residents - A
  study of toxic body burdens
• Joint study by Northwest Environmental Watch and
  Washington Toxics Coalition
• What was found in womens breast milk
• 9 samples range 13 to 156 ppb PBDEs
• Median 50 ppb (parts per billion)
• Japan blood median 1.3 ppb
• Swedish breast milk median 2.1 ppb

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PBDEs In Milk Fat
(adapted from Northwest Environmental Watch, 2004)
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Additional Reports - PBDEs

• Texas 2002 Breast milk from 47 mothers median
  34 ppb
• Across U.S. - 20 breast milk samples median 58
  ppb

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Additional Reports - PBDEs
(adapted from Northwest Environmental Watch, 2004)
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Importance of Breast Feeding

• Absolutely the best infant food
• Despite the chemical found in breast milk, the
  benefits outweigh any risk
• Reduces incidence of a number of diseases and
  infections
• Formula milk may also have contaminants
• Breast feeding good for mothers too

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Health Effects of PBDEs

• Similar to PCBs (Polychlorinated biphenyls)
• PBT (Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxicant)
• No human data
• Animals studies indicate
• Effects thyroid hormone levels
• Neurobehavioral toxicity
• Effects development - alters Behavior
• Impairs memory and learning
• Delays sexual development

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Do we need to know more?

• Health effects deca-PBDE?
• Animals studies neurobehavioral, endocrine
  effects?
• Human studies?
• Metabolism is deca-PBDE metabolized to more
  toxic metabolites? How fast? Persistent in body?
• Break down does deca-PBDE break down in the
  environment to penta or octa? Impact of UV light?

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What do we know?

• PBDEs migrate out of products
• Found in the environment and animals
• Found homes and mothers breast milk
• PCBs and PBDEs very similar
• PBDEs have health effects at low doses
• Deca-PBDE has effects (may be from metabolites)
• Deca-does break down and is metabolized
• Therefore we need to adapt a precautionary
  approach

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PBDEs International Status

• Europe
• Banned - Penta and octa-PBDE
• Deca-PBDE used in electronics (greatest use of
  deca)
• Deca will be banned by 2006

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PBDEs National Status
U.S. EPA and a U.S. chemical manufacturer, agreed
to phase out Penta and Octa-PBDE by end of
2004 Deca-PBDE in consumer electronics (80 of
the chemical's commercial use) no agreement
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PBDEs California Status

• Legislation to ban - Penta and Octa-PBDE
• Did not ban Deca-PBDE
• Must report amount of electronic waste and toxic
  chemicals in waste such as PBDEs, metals

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PBDEs WA State
Jan 2004 - Governor Locke issued an Executive
Order directing the Department of Ecology to
develop a phase out plan March 2004 - March
2004, the Washington State Legislature funded the
development of a PBDE phase out plan Advisory
panel formed
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PBDEs WA State - Status

• Dept. of Ecology Draft Report
• A complete ban on Penta and Octa-PBDE
• A ban on Deca-PBDE in consumer electronics (80
  of the chemical's commercial use).
• Public hearing October 19th

http//www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/eap/pbt/pbde/index.
html
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Alternatives

• Buy products with natural fibers (cotton and
  wool) that are naturally fire resistant.
• Choice materials that do not have or need
  flame-retardants (IKEA uses no PBDEs)
• Manufactures are redesigning products
• Research for new flame-retardants

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Precautionary Principle
When an activity raises threats of harm to human
health or the environment, precautionary measures
should be take even if some cause and effect
relationships are not fully established
scientifically. Wingspread Conference, 1998.
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Safety Efficacy vs Harm

• FDA regulations of Drugs (1938)
• FDA regulations of Dietary Supplements (Dietary
  Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994
  (DSHEA))
• Ephedra present an unreasonable risk of illness
  or injury (Dec, 2003)

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Central components

• Taking preventive action in the face of
  uncertainty
• Shifting the burden of responsibility to the
  proponents of an activity
• Exploring a wide range of alternatives to
  possibly harmful actions
• Increasing public participation in decision
  making
• Wingspread Conference, 1998.

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Examples of Precautionary Approach

• Changes in purchase policy to less toxic cleaners
  paints
• Integrated pest management
• Banning chemicals in consumer products
• Approach to decision making

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The Potential of Children
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A Small Dose of PBDEs
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Additional Information

• Flame Retardants In Puget Sound Residents - A
  study of toxic body burdens (http//www.northwestw
  atch.org/pollution/)
• Washington Toxics Coalition (www.watoxics.org)
• Washington State Department of Ecology
  (http//www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/eap/pbt/pbde/index
  .html)
• Birnbaum, L. S., Staskal, D. F. (2004).
  Brominated flame retardants cause for concern?
  Environ Health Perspect, 112(1), 9-17. (available
  on line at www.ehponline.org)
• Hooper, K., McDonald, T. A. (2000). The PBDEs
  an emerging environmental challenge and another
  reason for breast-milk monitoring programs.
  Environ Health Perspect, 108(5), 387-392.
  (available on line at www.ehponline.org)

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A Small Dose of Toxicology
See www.asmalldoseof.org -- smdose
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Contact Information
This presentation is supplement to A Small
Dose of Toxicology
For Additional Information Contact Steven G.
Gilbert, PhD, DABT E-mail smdose_at_asmalldoseof.org
Web www.asmalldoseof.org