BFRs Are Here to Stay

There is no doubt that deaths and property damage from fires have been reduced by the introduction of brominated fire retardants (BFRs). The tradeoff has been that residues of these substances have bioaccumulated through the foodchain and are now found in the blood and breast milk of humans. There are indications that exposures have been increasing over time. And, they are getting a lot of attention in the environmental health community.

There has been movement occurring (see here and here) to remove certain BFRs (principally polybrominated diphenyl ethers – PBDEs) from the product life cycle. However, millions of pounds of these substances already have been introduced into commerce, and the potential exposures to these substances are widespread (see here and here).

While the evidence for adverse effects associated with exposure to PBDEs is principally in laboratory animals, it is worrisome enough for arguments to limit human exposure. Phasing out use of PBDEs is one step, but given the long environmental persistence of these substances, don’t expect that step to have any effect on human exposure for years or even decades. Individuals may have to take their own measures to reduce personal exposure. For myself, I feel there is some hope that managing your microenvironment could have some impact in reducing persistent organic pollutant (POP) exposure and body burden.

As yet, there isn’t a comprehensive program for helping people reduce their personal exposure to POPs, though it appears that the matter has been studied. Research also has been conducted on the use of indoor dust as a metric for exposure, so it is probably a small step from exposure assessment to exposure mitigation. Diet is also a primary exposure pathway for POP exposure, particularly for diets high in animal fats, so eating better also might have an exposure reduction benefit. Lastly, using the power as consumers to creating disincentives for products with POPs in their lifecycle and creating incentives for “green” alternatives is only a long-term solution, but in the end, could be the most effective one.

For many, this sounds like a real pain in the ass, and it probably is. But it is also probably time to face these kinds of problems directly, if we wish to forestall the collapse.