Phasing Out Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) and PBTs

1. Phasing Out Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) and PBTs “Out of Harm’s Way: Preventing Toxic Threats to our Children’s Health” October 15, 2005 Spokane, WA Steven G. Gilbert, PhD, DABT www.asmalldoseof.org

2. Infant & Child Health

3. Vision for Child Health “Children can develop and mature in an environment that allows them to reach and maintain their full potential.”

4. 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

5. Structure of PBDEs O Bry Brx PolyBrominated Diphenyl Ether X & Y are number of Bromine atoms e.g. decaPBDE has 10 Bromines

6. How much PBDEs are used? Millions of lbs used/year (2001) Total world-wide 148.3 M lbs/yr Data from BSEF (2001)

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. Transport of PBDEs • Atmospheric transport – found in artic sediment, mussels and animals • Remote Canadian lakes • Island in Baltic • Indoor dust

11. PBDEs in House Dust (ppb) From EWG - Toxic Fire Retardants Contaminate American Homes - http://www.ewg.org/reports/inthedust/summary.php

12. 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)

13. PBDEs Breast Milk - Sweden (Norén and Mieronyté, 1998)

14. PBDEs in Breast Milk (ppb) From EWG - Toxic Fire Retardants in Breast Milk from American Mothers - http://www.ewg.org/reports/mothersmilk/es.php

15. 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 women’s 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

16. PBDEs In Milk Fat (adapted from Northwest Environmental Watch, 2004)

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

18. Additional Reports - PBDEs (adapted from Northwest Environmental Watch, 2004)

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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?

22. What do we know? • PBDEs migrate out of products • Found in the environment and animals • Found homes and mother’s 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

23. PBDEs – International Status • Europe • Banned - Penta and octa-PBDE • Deca-PBDE used in electronics (greatest use of deca) • Deca will be banned by 2006

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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.

30. 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)

31. 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.

32. 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

33. The Potential of Children

34. A Small Dose of ™ PBDEs

35. Additional Information • Flame Retardants In Puget Sound Residents - A study of toxic body burdens (http://www.northwestwatch.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)

36. A Small Dose of Toxicology See: www.asmalldoseof.org -- smdose

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