Pbde Flame Retardant

The U.S. manufacturers of a toxic flame retardant commonly used in television sets have agreed to phase out production under a deal with federal regulators. The retardant, known as deca, is one of a class of chemical compounds that have been found in California residents at the highest levels in the country, a consequence of widespread exposure linked to the state's strict flammability standards for furniture. Deca is a polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE), a group of flame-retardant chemicals used in the manufacture of electronic equipment, furniture cushions, upholstery textiles, carpet backings, mattresses, cars, buses, aircraft and construction materials.

The U.S. manufacturers of a toxic flame retardant commonly used in television sets have agreed to phase out production under a deal with federal regulators. The retardant, known as deca, is one of a class of chemical compounds that have been found in California residents at the highest levels in the country, a consequence of widespread exposure linked to the state's strict flammability standards for furniture. Deca is a polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE), a group of flame-retardant chemicals used in the manufacture of electronic equipment, furniture cushions, upholstery textiles, carpet backings, mattresses, cars, buses, aircraft and construction materials.

Scientists who analyzed the carcass of a rare deep-sea beaked whale have found that natural compounds similar to industrial flame retardants can accumulate in whales just like man-made chemicals. Marine chemists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts reported Thursday in the journal Science that they had discovered chemicals that were natural in origin but similar to industrial flame retardants that had contaminated people and wildlife worldwide.

Scientists who analyzed the carcass of a rare deep-sea beaked whale have found that natural compounds similar to industrial flame retardants can accumulate in whales just like man-made chemicals. Marine chemists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts reported Thursday in the journal Science that they had discovered chemicals that were natural in origin but similar to industrial flame retardants that had contaminated people and wildlife worldwide.