Flammability Standards, Flame Retardants, and Healthy Buildings

Arlene Blum, PhDGreen Science Policy Institute www.greensciencepolicy.org

SixClasses.org We can reduce harmful chemicals

for a healthier world.

2

Periodic table of elementsHalogens

3

SixClasses.org

5. Some solvents benzene, methylene chloride, xylene, etc.

6. Some heavy metals lead, mercury, chromium, cadmium, arsenic, etc.

4. Endocrine disrupting plasticizers BPA, phthalates, etc.

1. Fluorinated chemicals stain and water repellants

2. Chlorinated antimicrobials triclosan and triclocarban

3. Flame retardants brominated, chlorinated, phosphate

9

F17

Cl35

Br

4

Flame retardants are used to meet

flammability standards

1973 Furniture flammability standard TB117 (Standard mandated by California legislation)

1976 Uniform Building Code for foam plastic insulations (Private code body)

5

Why are flame retardants in furniture & baby products?

California Technical Bulletin 117:– Required filling inside furniture to

withstand a small open flame for 12 seconds

– No significant fire safety benefit

(fires start in fabric covers, not in fillings)6 10

PentaBDE flame retardant

• Used from 1975 to 2004 to meet TB117.

• Chemical structure similar to PCBs, dioxins & furans.

• Globally banned as a persistent organic pollutant (POP)

7

Furan

Dioxin

Combustion Products

PBDE

PCB

Firefighters• Elevated rates of

– multiple myeloma

– non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

– prostate and testicular cancers

• Associated with dioxin/furan exposure.

G.K. LeMasters, et al, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 48(11): 1189-202(2006).

8 R.D. Daniels, et al, Occupational and Environmental Medicine oemed-2013-101662Published Online First: 14 October 2013

Animal health effects

• Chronic toxicity: long term impacts– Endocrine disruption: Interference with thyroid

hormone action

– Neurodevelopment: Decreased memory, learning deficits, altered motor behavior, hyperactivity

– Reproductive system effects: Abnormal gonadal development, reduced ovarian follicles, reduced sperm count

– Immune suppression – Cancer

9

PentaBDE human health associations 14

associated withHigher pentaBDE lower birth weightimpaired attention

poorer coordinationlowered IQ

longer time to get pregnantaltered thyroid hormones

Eskenazi et al, 2010, 2011, 201210

Flame retardants move from products to people 1

14

THE PROBLEM: 17Most Chemicals Are NOT Effectively Regulated in the U.S.

The U.S. Toxic Substances Control Act (1976)

62,000 chemicals in commerce “grandfathered”

20,000 new chemicals have been introducedo 85% have no health datao 67% have no data at all

Michael Wilson, Green Chemistry in California: http://coeh.berkeley.edu/news/06_wilson_policy.htm

12

Regrettable Substitutions?

Kid’s PJsBrominated Tris

MUTAGEN

XChlorinated Tris

MUTAGEN

X Chlorinated Tris

Furniture, baby productsPentaBDE

Firemaster 550

CARCINOGENX

TOXIC, PERSISTANT, BIOACCUMULATIVEX

OBESITY, ANXIETY?

Phosphates

TOXICITY??

13

Do we need them?

Flame retardants in furniture foam do not significantly slow ignitionsDo not prevent fires or decrease fire hazard

Babrauskas 1983; Talley 1995; Mehta 2012

no flame retardants with flame retardants

BUT do cause health problems 14

GooglePlaying with Fire

Pulitzer PrizeFinalist

Goldsmith Prize Investigative Reporting

Environmental Journalists Society

Environmental Reporting

Gerald Loeb Award Business and Financial Journalism

National Press Club Consumer Award

1515

California Flammability

Standard TB117-2013– Implement on January 1st, 2014 – Mandatory on January 1st, 2015– 85% fabrics already pass– 15% need non-FR polyester batting between

fabric and foam

16

TB117 and baby products– December 2010: three exempted

– January 1, 2014: 15 more exempted

17

• Vacuum, wet mop and hand wash to reduce exposure to dust

• Buy furniture with a TB117-2013 label as they become available.

• Ask for products without flame retardants

What can consumers do?http://greensciencepolicy.org/consu

mers

18

Recent Policy Actions

California Furniture standard TB117-2013– Smolder standard for cover fabric where fires start– Increased fire safety– Flame retardants not needed

California Assembly Bill 127 for buildings– Re-evaluates insulation flammability standards – “Provide manufacturers with flexibility in meeting the

flammability standards, with or without the addition of chemical flame retardants…”

19

Plastic foam insulationspolystyrene

(XPS and EPS)polyurethane

polyisocyanurate

HBCD TCPP

20

HBCD animal health effects

21

Aver

age

HBC

D (n

g/g)

• Thyroid disruption• Affects the developing nervous system• Developmental neurotoxicity in mice

HBCD is bioaccumulative

EmeraldTM 3000CAS: 1195978-93-8

• Copolymer of polystyrene and brominated polybutadiene• Replacement for HBCD in EPS and XPS insulation• Chemtura production plant being built in China• EPA predicts possibly

-toxic from inhalation?-persistent, and bioaccumulative

January 201223

TCPP animal health studies

24

• Potential carcinogen• Accumulates in liver

and kidneys• Affects nervous system

development

• More study needed

?

TCPP

TDCPP

CARCINOGEN

TCEP

CARCINOGEN

Is there a fire safety benefit?

25

Majority of fire deaths from inhalation of toxic gases

Average percent of flame and fire deaths by cause, 1979-2007

63% smoke inhalation28% burns

22% both2% other

Hall, NFPA 201126

Take Home Points

• Many flame retardants are associated with adverse health effects.

• No evidence that flame retardants in home furniture, baby products, and building insulation behind thermal barriers improve fire safety.

• Widespread contamination of water, food, and soils; distributed globally by air and water circulation; end up in food supply.

• Use can be reduced and fire safety maintained or increased

28