FRs and their adverse health effects are a seemingly ubiquitous topic in scientific journals. Today we provide a snapshot in the table below of the primary health effects of widely used flame retardants. This is a summary table of a few FRs. For further information including health effects of FRs with proprietary formulations see the US EPA Design for Environment Program. Health Effects Flame Retardants (FRs) Brominated Flame Retardants Chlorinated Flame Retardants Other FRs Persistent,… …
The solution to hazardous plasticizers like DEHP is not necessarily another plasticizer. The figure to the left from the Plastics Scorecard identifies five solutions to the use of chemicals of concern in plastics. Companies, for example, are eliminating hazardous plasticizers by avoiding the use of PVC plastic, which consumes 80-90% of all plasticizers. This in turn avoids the life cycle concerns with PVC, including the use of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) in manufacturing and the formation of… …
The dominant movement in the marketplace is to alternative plasticizers to DEHP and other phthalates. Yet this is the less preferred solution to avoiding PVC and plasticizers altogether. Some recent assessments on alternative materials and plasticizers include: Clean Production Action’s Plastics Scorecard demonstrated the benefits of substituting medical IV bags made from PVC/DEHP with polyolefin bags that require no plasticizers (see figure to the right). The substitution eliminated the… …
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel (CHAP) on Phthalates released its final report in July. Its literature review suggests that prenatal phthalate exposure may contribute to male reproductive developmental disorders and neurobehavioral effects in male infants and children. Additional research suggests adult exposure may be linked to poor sperm quality. It also found that food, beverages and direct ingestion of drugs were the largest sources of overall… …
What chemicals are in the products you sell? It should be the simplest of questions, but all too often, it's incredibly difficult for companies to obtain information about the chemicals in their products, let alone in their packaging and supply chains. The fact that chemicals are the foundation of every product — from beauty and personal care products to cell phones and couches — presents significant management challenges for the vast majority of businesses that do not know the… …
It’s now the law in: Vermont: Act No. 188 (S 239) requires manufacturers of children’s products to notify the State if the product contains a chemical of high concern and empowers that State to prohibit the sale of or require labeling of products containing chemicals of high concern. Maine, Minnesota, and Washington enacted similar laws prior to 2014. Coming soon: California: SB 1019 will require labeling flame retardants in upholstered residential furniture. The bill passed the… …
It’s now the law in: Maryland: HB 229 bans children’s products containing the flame retardants TDCPP (tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl)phosphate) and TCEP (tris(2-chloroethyl)phosphate). New York: AB 4741 / SB 3703 bans children’s products containing TDCPP – signed by Gov. Cuoumo on September 18, 2014. Washington State: SB 6086 will require the state to reduce purchases of products that contain the well-known PBTs, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Going nowhere, but in the US… …
