PARENT SESSION
PS11 - Exposure and Analysis of Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs)
Sunday, 17 November 2002
8:00 AM to 6:30 PM
Exhibit Hall
(P123) PBDEs in the UK and North America - linking sources and environmental levels.
Alcock, Ruth*,1, Wilford, Bryony1, Jones, Kevin1, 1 Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
ABSTRACT- Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) represent important additive flame retardants with numerous uses within industrial and domestic applications. Despite several years of increasing interest in these compounds, our understanding of the principal environmental sources remains limited. Reservoirs of commercial mixtures associated with products have not been broadly quantified on a national scale and possible release to different environmental compartments remains uncertain. Without this information it is difficult to interpret the environmental data available and begin to effectively reduce sources. Concern has been expressed about continued elevated concentrations of congener BDE-47, an important component of the Penta product, in wildlife and human tissues. To begin to resolve and understand these issues we have selected congener BDE-47 to act as a model compound in two regions, the UK and North America areas with very different historical and contemporary use patterns. The historical use of BDE-47 within these two broad regions has been calculated and emissions to air estimated for the year 2000. Primary sources from products in use and also secondary/recycling source categories have been included. Results highlight the significance of vehicles and furniture as importance sources of BDE-47 from products in use.
Key words: pbde, inventory