Firemaster

November 16, 2014 Bulletins

One of the most studied of the new FRs is Firemaster 550—a bromine and phosphorous-based compound. Firemaster 550 highlights include: 

• Used in polyurethane foam products, including seating applications, as an alternative to the now phased out of use BFR, pentaBDE.
• Widely found to be a common contaminant in household dust. 
• People increasingly found to be contaminated with Firemaster 550.
• Identified as an endocrine disruptor that can interfere with thyroid hormone function and linked in studies with lab rats to weight gain (hence a potential obesogen), early onset of puberty, and cardiovascular and neurological effects at levels relevant to human exposure and lower than the no observable effects level reported by the manufacturer.
• Separate studies in fish provide evidence of persistence, bioaccumulation, metabolism, and genotoxic effects.