Project Head:
Öko-Recherche. Büro für Umweltforschung und -beratung GmbH. Frankfurt a.M.
Project Team:
Engelbert Schramm
Cooperation:
Öko-Recherche. Büro für Umweltforschung und -beratung GmbH. Frankfurt a.M.
Dr. André Leisewitz,
Institut Toxicology of Christian-Albrechts-
University Kiel
Funding:
Umweltbundesamt
Duration:
09/098 – 08/00
Field of research
about the Institute
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In preventive fire safety measures, incorporating a flame retardant in
combustible materials and plastics is a common procedure applied to reduce the
risk of fires. However, the discovery of toxicologically and ecotoxicologically
problematic or hazardous flame retardants, as well as their decomposition
products, in the various compartments of the biosphere (e.g. sediments, water,
indoor air, biota) has in the past led to public debate and to regulations
requiring the reduced use of such substances.
The German Federal Environmental Agency (Umweltbundesamt, UBA) has
commissioned a research project on these issues, which was carried out as a cooperative project of Öko-Recherche GmbH (Frankfurt/M.) together with the
Institute Toxicology of the University of Kiel, and Institute for Social-Ecological
Research (Institut für
sozial-ökologische Forschung (ISOE) GmbH (Frankfurt/M. ).
The task of the now completed study was to develop evaluation criteria for the
substitution of environmentally relevant flame retardants. For this purpose a
selection of thirteen flame retardants was examined with regard to their environmentally relevant properties
(essentially: toxicity, ecotoxicity, and suitability for closed-loop substance
management), and corresponding substance profiles were elaborated. Furthermore,
it was examined how these flame retardants are currently utilized in important
areas of application, and on what conditions the utilization of flame
retardants depends. This application-oriented analysis also sought to
ascertain what possibilities for action are available for replacing
environmentally harmful with less problematic flame retardants.
The selected products are used in various sectors with different fire safety
requirements.
These sectors are:
- Insulation materials and one-component foams composed of polyurethane
rigid foam (construction sector),
- structural and cladding elements made of unsaturated, fibre-glass
reinforced polyester resins (rail vehicle sector),
- printed circuit boards (largely manufactured from epoxy resins),
- casings for computers, printers and similar IT components, as well as TV
appliances in the electrical and electronic sector, and
- textiles for mattresses and upholstered furniture.
Proceeding from the toxicological and ecotoxicological substance
characteristics identified in the study lead to an evaluation
of the examined flame retardants.
The applications-focused analysis of flame retardants shows that with regard
to most of the examined products, a trend has started towards the substitution
of halogenated flame retardants, or new formulations of flame retardant systems
have been and are being developed that refrain from using halogenated flame
retardants. Organic phosphorus flame retardants are gaining importance on the
one hand, as are on the other hand design-based and materials-based fire safety
approaches that are able to do without flame retardants. The evaluation views
this trend as positive; however, the environmental relevance and especially the
emissions behaviour of the organic phosphorus additives will demand greater
attention in future. Overall, the various application areas show a substantial
potential for substituting and reducing the use of environmentally relevant
flame retardants.
The report on "Substituting Environmentally Relevant Flame Retardants:
Assessment Fundamentals" is published in the "TEXTE" publication
series of the German Federal Environmental Agency (UBA). 10 Euro, the summary
as pdf-download for free
Visit http://www.umweltbundesamt.de/index-e.htm
and follow the link issues or:
Leisewitz/Kruse/Schramm (2001): Substituting Environmentally Relevant Flame
Retardants: Assessment Fundamentals. Results and summary overview.
Umweltbundesamt Berlin. Texte 40/01
by bank transfer, crossed cheque or paying-in form to Fa. Werbung und
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Account number 4327 65 - 104 at Postbank Berlin (Sorting Code 10010010) (if
you transfer, please send at the same time your written order to Werbung und
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