House to Examine Flame Retardants Used in Textiles & Consumer Products
The House Energy and Commerce Committee and its Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations have requested information from three companies on their top-selling flame retardant chemicals, in preparation for the subcommittee’s May 20, 2010 hearing on the use and potential impact of flame retardant chemicals.
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Flame Retardants Used in Fabric, Foam, Plastic, Etc
The committee states that flame retardant chemicals such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs -- See BP Note) are used in the fabrics, foams, and plastics of various consumer and children's products and tend to slow the ignition and rate of combustion of fire.
Growing Concern Over Their Safety
According to the committee, the persistent and bioaccumulative nature of flame retardant chemicals raises concerns regarding their impact on human health and the environment. In addition, a growing number of peer-reviewed studies suggest a possible link between exposure to certain flame retardant chemicals and neurological, developmental, fertility, and reproductive problems in animals and in humans.
Information Sought on Health & Safety Risks
Therefore, the committee has asked Albemarle Corporation, Chemtura Corporation, and ICL Performance Products to submit documentation on their top-selling flame retardant chemicals, including documentation related to each chemical's potential health, safety, and environmental effects.
Among other things, the companies have been asked to provide data on the consumer products in which their ten top-selling flame retardants are used, any internal or external toxicity tests they may have, data on flame safety effectiveness of the chemicals, etc.
Energy and Commerce Committee press release with links to the letters sent to the three companies (dated 04/12/10) available at http://energycommerce.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1949:energy-a-commerce-committee-to-examine-flame-retardant-chemicals&catid=122:media-advisories&Itemid=55
BP Notes
1. In December 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency announced its intent to take various actions regarding the flame retardant PBDE, including: (i) initiating a rulemaking in autumn 2010 to add commercial PDBE mixtures and/or the congeners they contain to the TSCA “Concern List”; (ii) encouraging the voluntary phase-out of manufacture and import of the PDBE called c-decaBDE; and (iii) proposing a TSCA Significant New Use Rule (SNUR) requiring notice to EPA prior to the manufacture or import of articles to which c-pentaBDE or c-octaBDE have been added. (See ITT’s Online Archives or 01/04/10 news, (Ref: 10010415), for BP summary.)
2. In June 2009, the European Chemicals Agency made its first recommendation that seven substances should be subject to the “authorization” component of REACH, meaning they would no longer be able to be placed on the EU market or used within the EU, except when “authorized” for specific purposes. Two of the seven chemicals were flame retardants, short chained chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) and Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD). (See ITT’s Online Archives or 06/25/09 news, (Ref: 09062530), for BP summary.)