Jan 6, 2009 11:22 pm US/Eastern
Scientists Probe Dangers Of Flame Retardant
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
Whether you are sitting in your living room, your office or even a café with wifi, chances are you are surrounded by a potentially dangerous chemical. It was designed to save lives, but many scientists are concerned that a commonly used flame retardant could be putting us all at risk.
Flame retardants are everywhere. They are used in furniture and electronics to keep flames from spreading in the event of a fire. In that sense, they work well.
But one class of these drugs, called polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or pbdes, is raising eyebrows among environmental health professionals.
"They are neurotoxic," explained Professor Tom Webster of Boston University School of Public Health.
That means they can potentially cause brain and reproductive problems and Webster says they are nearly impossible to avoid.
"They get out of the products and into the air and the dust," he said.
Laura Spark of Jamaica Plain had never heard of pbde's until she agreed to take part in a study to see if the chemical is absorbed into our bodies.
"My sister Cynthia died when she was 26 of breast cancer and I have been concerned about the environmental links to illness," she said. "I wanted to do something to sort of move the science along."
The test showed Laura did have pbde's in her blood; even more alarming, her daughter Naomi has levels six times higher than her mom.
"Of all the things you worry about when your kids are born; you don't think, 'Oh, the sofa is bad'," she said.
Professor Webster and his team of scientists use a special gun to measure pbde's in products and household dust. It uses X-ray technology to detect the presence of certain elements. If there's bromine present, chances are it's made with pbde's.
We wanted to find out for ourselves just how prevalent pbde's are, so we decided to test some toys. We brought them to a local environmental group which uses the same XRF gun as Professor Webster. Bromine was present in several toys.
Webster did say the levels were relatively low but, that doesn't necessarily mean they are safe.
"Kids have very close contact with toys," Webster explained. "So you might be concerned that even though the concentrations are lower, they (kids) are sleeping with them, sucking on them or biting them. It's not negligible," he added.
Pbde's have been banned in Europe and are being phased out in Maine and Washington State. But there's no way to know if the products you buy are made with them.
On its Web site, an industry organization says - "
Brominated flame retardants save lives by preventing and limiting fires. It is important that any environmental concerns are addressed, so that the life safety benefits of these products can be maintained.
Professor Webster's main concern is that pbde's are persistent pollutants which means they will remain in our bodies and our environment for decades. "I think this is the superfund of the future," he said.
Naomi has not shown any symptoms of neurological damage as a result of the high levels of pbde's in her blood. No one really knows if she every will. Still, Webster and other environmental advocates insist it's better to be safe than sorry.
Lawmakers on Beacon Hill are considering a bill that would force manufacturers to use safer alternatives to all kinds of chemicals whenever they are available.
The following resources have more information:
Alliance For A Healthy Tomorrow
Industry organization:
Learn more about
Professor Webster and his research on PBDES
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