Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers: Developing an EPA Action Plan

1
Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers Developing an
EPA Action Plan

• Briefing for FOSTTA
• October 19, 2004

2
Outline

• PBDEs Overview
• PBDEs Exposure and Hazards
• PBDEs Uses
• PBDEs Status in U.S. and Europe
• Key Issues for PBDEs
• Developing a PBDEs Action Plan

3
PBDEs Exposure and Hazards

• Rapidly growing literature on PBDEs measured in
  humans, wildlife, sludge and sediment, etc.
• PBDEs are frequently detected
• Indications of rising trends (e.g., in breast
  milk)
• Higher levels in North America than Europe and
  Asia
• Animal studies of various PBDE congeners and
  mixtures suggest a variety of potential adverse
  effects
• Thyroid effects and developmental neurotoxicity
• Developmental reproductive effects
• Anti-androgenicity

4
Uses of PBDEs

• PentaBDE
• Foam in furniture, mattresses, automobile seats
• 8,000 tons/year worldwide 95 used in the U.S.
• OctaBDE
• Plastics in electronics (e.g. TVs, computers)
• 4,000 tons/year worldwide 40 used in U.S.
• DecaBDE
• Plastics in electronics (e.g. TVs, computers),
  wire and cable insulation, textiles
• 62,000 tons/year worldwide 44 used in U.S.
• (industry data for 2001)

5
PBDEs Status - U.S.

• Voluntary pentaBDE/octaBDE production phaseout by
  end of 2004
• To be backstopped by TSCA Significant New Use
  Rule
• Many legislative initiatives in states, such as
• California 2006 ban on products with penta/octa
• Maine law bans products containing deca by 2008
  (with possible exemptions)
• Federal legislation has been introduced
• CPSC flammability standards - potential to
  increase demand for decaBDE

6
PBDEs Status - Europe

• Penta/octa ban effective August 2004
• DecaBDE risk assessment closed
• No regulatory controls at this time
• But scientific study continues
• DecaBDE use in electronics banned in 2006 - ?
• Further clarification likely

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Activities of Other Federal Agencies (1)

• NTP
• Conducting toxicology studies of commercial
  pentaBDE and selected congeners
• CDC
• Measuring U.S. body burdens of PBDEs
• Sampling in 2003-04 data may be available in
  2006
• NIST
• Studying migration of PBDEs from plastics in
  electronics components

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Activities of Other Federal Agencies (2)

• CPSC
• Considering furniture flammability standard -
  could increase use of decaBDE in furniture
  fabrics
• OPPT coordinating re TSCA Significant New Use
  Rule
• USDA
• Methods for measuring PBDEs in meats and poultry
• Research on PBDEs absorption, distribution,
  metabolism and elimination
• FDA
• Will include PBDE measurements in Total Diet
  Study

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PentaBDE / OctaBDE - Key Issues

• Near-term issues
• Manufacturers are evaluating and selecting
  replacement flame retardants this year
• To guide selection of lower-risk alternatives,
  information on hazards/exposures of substitutes
  is needed
• Screening-level assessment OPPT-DfE Furniture
  Flame Retardancy Partnership
• Longer-term issues
• Exposures to pentaBDE/octaBDE are likely to
  continue for decades, due to reservoirs in the
  environment and in products
• Development of test data on substitutes needed to
  follow-up on screening level assessments

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DecaBDE - Key Issues

• Continuing commercial use of decaBDE
• Some states are legislating restrictions
• Evidence of decaBDE exposure to humans and
  wildlife
• Additional work needed to better clarify
  potential risks of decaBDE
• Hazard
• Exposure
• Environmental Fate

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Developing an Action Plan

• Workgroup with participation from across the
  Agency
• Nature of the plan not a detailed strategy
• For release to public this Fall/Winter -
  providing information on EPAs overall approach
  to PBDEs
• Identifies Next Steps for PBDEs
• What is being done in VCCEP and other programs
• Additional activities that EPA believes are
  appropriate and necessary

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Elements of Action Plan

• Assess substitutes for penta/octa
• Assessment and evaluation of decaBDE
• Assessment of pentaBDE and octaBDE
• Other brominated flame retardants
• Additional activities as needed

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Assessment of Substitutes for pentaBDE and octaBDE

• Background Market is in transition industry is
  choosing alternatives. What are the potential
  risks of substitutes?
• Key Activities
• EPAs Furniture Flame Retardancy Partnership is
  conducting a screening level hazard/exposure
  assessment of pentaBDE substitutes.
• The Partnership will define expectations for
  further data to be generated by manufacturers of
  chemicals that gain sufficient market share as
  pentaBDE replacements.

14
Assessment and Evaluation of Decabromodiphenyl
Ether (decaBDE)

• Background Use of decaBDE continues. Key
  issues include risk from decaBDE itself and its
  contribution to formation of lower-brominated
  breakdown products.
• Key Activities
• If CPSC proposes a furniture flammability
  standard (increasing demand for decaBDE), EPA
  will propose a TSCA SNUR that will enable EPA to
  review decaBDE (and other flame retardants) in
  this use before use begins
• IRIS review of decaBDE toxicology completion by
  late 2005
• Seek additional needed data on decaBDE
• EPA recommendations to VCCEP sponsors forthcoming
  shortly

15
Assessment of pentaBDE and octaBDE

• Background Voluntary phaseout of US production
  of pentaBDE and octaBDE by end of 2004 stocks
  are stored in existing products.
• Key Activities
• EPA will propose a TSCA SNUR in Fall 2004,
  enabling EPA to receive advance notification of
  plans to manufacture or import pentaBDE or
  octaBDE.
• EPA is conducting IRIS reviews for tetra-,
  penta-, hexa- and octaBDE congeners -
  completion is projected for late 2005.
• Seek additional needed data on pentaBDE/octaBDE
• EPA recommendations to VCCEP sponsor forthcoming
  shortly

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Other Brominated Flame Retardants of Interest

• Background PBDEs are not the only BFRs of
  potential interest.
• Key Activities
• EPA will review scientific developments on other
  brominated flame retardants, and will engage in
  further research, risk assessment and risk
  management as the need develops.
• EPA will continue to scrutinize new flame
  retardants proposed for manufacture and import
  into the U.S. market and, where appropriate, will
  seek development of additional data on such
  chemicals by their manufacturers under TSCA
  Section 5 authorities.

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Additional Activities as Needed

• EPA will consider additional activities, beyond
  those identified in the Action Plan, as needed.
  Additional activities could include
• Information gathering for other flame retardant
  chemicals
• Obtaining further data on potential, releases,
  exposures, hazards and risks for PBDEs
• Developing guidance on advisories for PBDEs in
  fish
• Taking actions to mitigate risks that may result
  from the continuing release of pentaBDE and
  octaBDE from existing products, and risks
  associated with decaBDE.

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Next Steps

• Complete drafting of Action Plan
• Public release of plan by Fall/Winter?