Additives Children's car seats are required to meet the flammability standards for car interiors outlined in the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 302 of the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. However, FRs have been linked to a variety of negative health effects, including hormone disruption, impaired brain development, liver damage and cancer. Children are more susceptible to these effects than adults because of their smaller size and their tendency to put their hands and objects in their mouths.
Exposure to FRs in car seats is through inhalation of the chemicals that leach into the air out of fabrics and foam
Exposure to FRs in car seats is through inhalation of the chemicals that leach into the air out of fabrics and foam; or by ingestion of the dust that accumulates inside vehicles, through skin contact or by chewing on their car seats. The researchers claimed that while car seat manufacturers are moving away from using certain toxic chemicals compounds, they were not specific as to what replacements were being used. Meanwhile, widespread adoption of mobile phones may also be a source of FR exposure, according to a study by the University of Toronto. It is the first study to identify hand-held electronic devices as a potential source of exposure to organophosphate esters, chemicals often used either as FRs or plasticisers that make materials such as PVC more flexible and durable. These chemicals, the researchers said, have been linked to neurotoxicity, decreased fertility and thyroid problems.
A study revealed that hand-held electronic devices may be a potential source of exposure to FR chemicals
The researchers found a connection between levels of organophosphate esters on electronic devices and levels on hands and in urine samples (of the study participants). Further, they found that levels of FRs and plasticisers were higher on hand-held devices, such as mobile phones and tablets, than non-hand-held electronics, such as televisions and desktop computers. As such, handheld devices like mobile phones, may be sources of some of these compounds, or may be indicators of chemical exposure from other sources such as their homes, cars and workplaces. Not only humans but pets may be at risk of FR exposure, according to another study. Published in American Chemical Society (ACS)’s Environmental Science & Technology journal, it associated the FR Tris (1,3-dichloro-2-isopropyl) Phosphate (TDICPP) contained in silicone tags to feline hyperthyroidism, the most common endocrine-related disease of older cats. It is claimed that the prevalence of the disease increased as new household FRs have been introduced in the market. While new FRs that are purported to be safer than their “more toxic” predecessors are currently being used in many materials, including the organobromine compounds, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) have been found to act as endocrine disruptors. The compound was phased out in the US in 2013. However, the newer FRs may not be all that safe as the ACS study included the PBDE alternative, organophosphate esters FR. The cats in the study wearing silicone tags showed elevated levels of TDCIPP. Cats and other pets may also be exposed to FRs from other household sources such as air fresheners, couches and mats. Developing “greener” FRs The use of additives has increased alongside the growth in applications for such materials like plastics. Thus, proper disposal of plastics not only is important in ensuring that plastics do not cause pollution but also help keeping potentially toxic substances from the environment. Thus, manufacturers are also developing “environmental friendly” FRs to address this concern. One such development comes from Texas A&M University’s new kind of FR coating developed using renewable, non-toxic materials readily found in nature, such as nanocellulose from wood and clay, according to a report published in the Advanced Materials Interfaces journal.
Experts at Texas A&M University developed a new kind of FR coating from naturally occurring materials
SEPTEMBER 2019
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