A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology 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

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology Infant & Child Health

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology “Children can develop and mature in an environment that allows them to reach and maintain their full potential.” Vision for Child Health

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology Purpose of PBDEs  Fire kills more than 3,000/year  Injures more than 20,000  $11 billion in damage  Flame retardants  Used in many consumer products PolyBrominated Diphenyl Ether

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology Structure of PBDEs X & Y are number of Bromine atoms e.g. decaPBDE has 10 Bromines PolyBrominated Diphenyl Ether O Br x Br y

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology How much PBDEs are used? PBDEsAmericasEuropeAsia Deca Octa Penta Total – Millions of lbs used/year (2001) Total world-wide M lbs/yr Data from BSEF (2001)

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology 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

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology 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

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology  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 Degradation of PBDEs

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology  Atmospheric transport – found in artic sediment, mussels and animals  Remote Canadian lakes  Island in Baltic  Indoor dust Transport of PBDEs

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology PBDEs in House Dust (ppb) From EWG - Toxic Fire Retardants Contaminate American Homes -

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology  Found in animals  Increase in fish  Increase in whales  Sewage sludge  PCBs Found in Lake Washington Fish (PBDEs next?)  Found in human (breast milk) Bioavailability of PBDEs

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology PBDEs Breast Milk - Sweden (Norén and Mieronyté, 1998)

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology PBDEs in Breast Milk (ppb) From EWG - Toxic Fire Retardants in Breast Milk from American Mothers -

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology  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 WA State PBDEs Burdens

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology PBDEs In Milk Fat (adapted from Northwest Environmental Watch, 2004)

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology  Texas 2002 – Breast milk from 47 mothers – median 34 ppb  Across U.S breast milk samples – median 58 ppb Additional Reports - PBDEs

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology Additional Reports - PBDEs (adapted from Northwest Environmental Watch, 2004)

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology 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

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology  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 Health Effects of PBDEs

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology  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? Do we need to know more?

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology  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 What do we know?

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology Europe  Banned - Penta and octa-PBDE  Deca-PBDE used in electronics (greatest use of deca)  Deca will be banned by 2006 PBDEs – International Status

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology 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 PBDEs – National Status

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology  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 PBDEs – California Status

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology Jan Governor Locke issued an Executive Order directing the Department of Ecology to develop a phase out plan March March 2004, the Washington State Legislature funded the development of a PBDE phase out plan Advisory panel formed PBDEs & WA State

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology 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 PBDEs & WA State - Status

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology  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 Alternatives

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology “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, Precautionary Principle

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology  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) Safety & Efficacy vs Harm

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology 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, Central components

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology Changes in purchase policy to less toxic cleaners & paints Integrated pest management Banning chemicals in consumer products Approach to decision making Examples of Precautionary Approach

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology The Potential of Children

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology A Small Dose of ™ PBDEs

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology Additional Information  Flame Retardants In Puget Sound Residents - A study of toxic body burdens (  Washington Toxics Coalition (  Washington State – Department of Ecology – (  Birnbaum, L. S., & Staskal, D. F. (2004). Brominated flame retardants: cause for concern? Environ Health Perspect, 112(1), (available on line at  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), (available on line at

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology See: -- smdosesmdose

A Small Dose of PBDEs 10/15/05 A Small Dose of Toxicology Contact Information For Additional Information Contact Steven G. Gilbert, PhD, DABT Web: This presentation is supplement to “A Small Dose of Toxicology”