Polybrominated Biphenyl and Diphenylether Flame Retardants: Analysis, Toxicity, and Environmental Occurrence
- 1 January 1995
- book chapter
- Published by Springer Nature in Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
- Vol. 141, 1-26
- https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-2530-0_1
Abstract
Polybromobiphenyls (PBBs) and polybromodiphenylethers (PBDEs) are presently being used as flame retardants in electronic equipment, plastics, building materials, and carpets. There are many standards and regulations applicable to flame retardants; those issued by the American Society for Testing of Materials (ASTM) alone account for more than one hundred (Arias 1992). The advantage of these compounds for industry is their high resistance toward acids, bases, heat, light, and reducing and oxidizing compounds. However, this high resistance becomes a great disadvantage when these compounds are discharged into the environment, where they persist for a long time. Furthermore, brominated dibenzofurans and dibenzodioxins may be formed when these flame retardants are heated (Watanabe and Tatsukawa 1990).Keywords
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