METROPOLITAN ENGINEERING & ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES: FLAME RETARDANTS IN OUR BUILDINGS AND FURNITURE MAY RETARD LIFE INSTEAD

FLAME RETARDANTS IN OUR BUILDINGS AND FURNITURE MAY RETARD LIFE INSTEAD - MORE STUDIES OF THE EFFECTS ARE NEEDED

The flame retardants used in foam insulation, children’s furniture and elsewhere, are a diverse group of chemicals that may cause a wide array of health problems. Cancer, obesity, reduced fertility, and hormone disruption are just a few of the problems that have been linked to exposure to these flame retardants. And this list is likely to be incomplete. None of the chemicals used as flame retardants have been comprehensively tested and there are large gaps in our knowledge about the toxicity of these chemicals.

The Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance’S product named: Closed or open cell, medium-density SPF insulation contains at least four (4) percent (or 40,000 ppm) of TCPP flame retardant. There are studies that show that some of the TCDD is leaching inside our homes and other buildings where this flame retardant has been used.

Additional testing found four flame retardants (or flame retardant mixtures) in the children’s furniture. Details about health hazards associated with the flame retardants we found include the following:

• Firemaster 550 caused obesity and disrupted normal hormone function in tests with laboratory animals and tests with living cells.

• TCPP caused genetic damage in studies of human cells. In tests with laboratory animals, TCPP changed the length of the menstrual cycle.

• TDCPP (chlorinated Tris) is identified as a cancer-causing chemical by the state of California and the U.S. National Research Council. In laboratory animals, it is toxic to developing embryos and also causes genetic damage in studies of human cells. In men attending infertility clinics, exposure to TDCPP was linked with changes in hormone levels.

• Butylated Triphenyl Phosphate: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has summarized the limited toxicology testing done with this flame retardant mixture. Health concerns identified in the EPA summary include decreased fertility and abnormal menstrual cycles.

Particularly concerning is the ability of these chemicals to disrupt the normal functions of our hormones. Hormones are chemical messengers that work together in a system that “regulates all biological processes in the body from conception through adulthood and into old age.” Hormones are potent in tiny amounts, and research over the last several decades has shown, similarly, that “low-dose effects are remarkably common” in studies of hormone-disrupting chemicals.

CALIFORNIA LAW ADDRESSES FIRE RETARDANTS IN HOMES

In late 2013, a measure signed into law by California Gov. Jerry Brown will require state officials to review California's flammability standards for foam insulation, and may ultimately reduce the exposure of homeowners to two common flame retardants.

According to an article posted online at SFGate.com, the state fire marshal and the Building Standards Commission will review current flammability standards and consider whether flame retardants are necessary.

The law doesn't amount to an outright ban on the chemicals, but it could lead to a change in state building standards that "would discourage the use" of two potentially hazardous retardants, HBCD and TCPP, the report said.

The measure was supported by the U.S. Green Building Council, firefighters from around the state, and health advocacy grounds including the Natural Resources Defense Council, SFGate reported.

CONNECTICUT IS ALSO AMONG THE STATES CONCERNED ABOUT THE HEALTH EFFECTS OF FLAME RETARDANTS

We provide below the information that part of a proposed law in Connecticut to ban the use of flame retardants in children’s furniture after October 1, 2014.

Facts and Recommendations on Chlorinated Tris

5218, An Act Concerning Toxic Fire Retardants in Children’s Products. H.B. 5218 would ban the manufacturing, sale or distribution of any children’s products containing Tris flame retardants (TCEP, TDCPP and TCPP) in the State of Connecticut after October 1, 2014. This act would protect the health of children in Connecticut by further reducing their exposure to Tris flame retardants.

Background

Tris flame retardants are a family of chemically similar flame retardants which include TDCPP, commonly known as chlorinated Tris, and similar chemicals known as TCEP, and TCPP. [1]. Tris flame retardants have been found in household dust and air as well as in water supplies [3]. Chlorinated Tris (TDCPP) is the most frequently detected of the Tris flame retardants and is used in many baby products and household furniture [1]. The chemical was banned from use in children’s clothing in 1977 after it was found by the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission to be a potential carcinogen in laboratory studies [1]. The chemical is still widely used in many baby products such as changing table pads, sleep positioners, portable mattresses, baby carriers, rocking chairs, high chairs and home furnishings. Due to its chemical makeup, chlorinated Tris escapes from the foam padding in these products and settles in household dust, thus exposing children and adults through inhalation or ingestion [3]. Children are especially prone to exposure through crawling or placing hands in their mouths.

In 2006, the Consumer Product and Safety Commission found that chlorinated Tris (TDCPP) poses a threat to human health, designating the chemical as a probable carcinogen [5]. No human studies have been conducted; however, animal studies have demonstrated multiple health effects such as increased incidence of liver, renal, testicular, and adrenal tumors after exposure to chlorinated Tris (TDCPP) [3]. Chlorinated Tris (TDCPP) has been shown to be a neurotoxin to brain cells in animal studies—animals exposed to chlorinated Tris were noted to have decreased memory, learning deficits, altered motor behavior and hyperactivity [4].

TCEP and TCPP are also Tris chemicals of concern. TCEP is used in foam padding and has been found in household dust and hospital air and has been found widely in surface water and streams [1]. Animal research also suggests that TCEP has the potential to negatively affect hormone levels and semen quality including sperm count, motility and morphology in humans [6]. It is classified as a carcinogen by California and a chemical of “very high concern” by the European Union [1,7,8]. Likewise, the Tris chemical TCPP, which has been used as a replacement for chlorinated Tris since the 1960s, is chemically similar to the other Tris chemicals, yet there is very little research on this chemical, and no research demonstrating its safety in children’s products [1]. TCPP is found widely in indoor dust and in the environment [1].

Each of the Tris flame retardants are used extensively in children’s products and home furniture with 10 to 50 million pounds each of chlorinated Tris and TCPP used in the United States each year [1]. The use of Tris flame retardants is legal and unrestricted in the United States although individual states are beginning to place bans on them. California has recognized chlorinated Tris (TDCPP) as a carcinogen and placed the chemical on its Proposition 65 list in 2011 [1, 8]. TCEP was identified as a substance of very high concern by the European Chemicals Agency in 2009 [7] while Canada has identified Tris flame retardants as a risk to human health in any dose and a ban on several Tris chemicals is currently being considered [11]. Maryland and Washington are also considering bans on the chemical during this legislative session and New York signed a ban into law in 2011.

Recommendations

CPHA supports H.B. 5218, An Act Concerning Toxic Fire Retardants in Children’s Products. Scientific research shows that Tris flame retardants pose real health risks to humans and animals. Due to the routes of exposure to Tris flame retardants (ingestion, inhalation) children are more vulnerable to the toxic effects of the chemical. Other states and countries have recognized the toxicity of these chemicals and have taken steps to protect their citizens. With an absence of federal action on chemical reform, Connecticut needs to continue to be a leader in chemical reform and ban Tris flame retardants in consumer products.

Prepared by Jennifer Allis-Vazquez, BSN RN CPTC, CPHA Advocacy Intern

February 29, 2012

For additional information on CPHA’s position on Tris flame retardants or other public health issues, please contact CPHA Advocacy Chair, Colleen O’Connor, at caoconnor24@hotmail.com or Noele Kidney, Project Coordinator at noelekidney@hotmail.com.

References:

1. Washington Toxics Coalition (2012). Hidden Hazards in the Nursery. Retrieved February 23, 2012 from http://watoxics.org/files/hidden-hazards-in-the-nursery.

2. Blum, Arlene (2011). Flame Retardants in Buildings, Toxicity, and Implications for Occupant Health. Retrieved January 11, 2012 from www.greensciencepolicy.org.

3. Faust, JB and August, LM, California Environmental Protection Agency (2011). Evidence on the Carcinogenity of Tris (1,3-Dichloro-2-Propyl) Phosphate. Retrieved January 11, 2012 from http://oehha.ca.gov/prop65/hazard_ident/pdf_zip/TDCPP070811.pdf.

4. Dishaw LV, Powers CM, Ryde IT, Roberts SC, Seidler FJ, Slotkin TA, Stapleton HM. (2011). Is the PentaBDE Replacement, tris (1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCPP), a developmental neurotoxicant? Studies in PC12 cells. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology.

5. Babich, MA (2006). CPSC Staff Preliminary Risk Assessment of Flame Retardant Chemicals in Upholstered Furniture Foam. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

6. Inchem (1998). United Nations Environmental Programme International Labour Organisation. World Health Organization: International Programme on Chemical Safety, Environmental Health Criteria 209 Flame Retardants: Tris (chloropropyl) phosphate and Tris-(2-chloroethyl) phosphate. Geneva.

7. European Chemicals Agency. 2009. Support Document for Identification of Tris (2-chloroethyl) phosphate as a Substance of Very High Concern because of its CMR Properties.

8. California Environmental Protection Agency. 2011. Chemicals Known to the State to Cause Cancer or Reproductive Toxicity. OEHHA. Retrieved from: www.oehha.ca.gov/prop65/prop65_list/files/P65single072911.pdf.

9. Shaw SD, Blum A, Weber R, Kannan K., Rich D, Lucas D, Koshland CP, Dobraca D, Hanson S, Birnbaum LS. 2010. Halogenated Flame Retardants: Do the Fire Safety Benefits Justify the Risks? Reviews on Environmental Health (25): 261-305.

10. Matthews, H. B., S. L. Eustis, et al. (1993). "Toxicity and carcinogenicity of chronic exposure to Tris(2-chloroethyl)phosphate." Fundam Appl Toxicol 20(4): 477-485.

11. Environment Canada (2009). Screening Assessment for the Challenge Ethanol, 2-chloro- phosphate (3:1) (Tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate [TCEP]), Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number 115-96-8. Retrieved from http://www.ec.gc.ca/ese-ees/default.asp?lang=En&xml=C378778A-D834-54E0-7F69-E6E2944A74FC.