Expert Advice by: Sarah Gudeman, LEED AP, EIT,
Morrissey Engineering, Inc.
Location: Omaha, NE

Website: http://www.morrisseyengineering.com/
Phone: (402) 491-4144

Shephard asks: How dangerous are brominated flame retardants to the environment?

Answer: Shephard, since you’re asking the question you most likely already know what brominated flame retardants are. For those of us who aren’t familiar (myself included), the term brominated flame retardants (BFRs) includes a wide variety of brominated materials, those that have been treated or reacted with bromine or hydrobromic acid. Addition of brominated chemicals to materials is performed to inhibit their ignition and slow their rate of combustion… essentially, as fire protection.

This is where we enter the realm of the built environment. The LEED Green Building Design & Construction Reference Guide does not specifically address firestopping but requires projects which pursue Indoor Environmental Quality Credits 4.1-4 to meet minimum requirements for Low-Emitting Materials. Whether BFRs were located in Adhesives, Sealants, Paints, Carpet, etc, these materials are covered in the reference guide – for projects that pursue these credits. But BFRs can be found in furniture, most electronic equipment (think e-waste), appliances, car parts and more.

There are many research papers on the topic of brominated flame retardants and their impact on the environment. BFRs are highly resistant to degradation in the environment and tend to build up in animals (including people). Of the BFR types, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are the most persistent environmental contaminants, accumulating in sediments and animal tissues to relatively high levels. PBDEs can disrupt thyroid hormone action and may impair neurodevelopment. And because PBDEs work so well, they’re very common as well, and the average person is exposed to them in all kinds of places and in addition to that, significant concentrations have been found foods like salmon, ground beef, butter and cheese.

Unfortunately, BFRs are widely used currently in order to meet strict fire safety codes for electronic equipment. And even though some companies (like Dell) have made commitments to avoid the use of BFRs and has prohibited the use of all PBDE ethers. Still, there are plenty of materials we’re all exposed to daily that still contain these compounds which, as many studies have shown, are dangerous at high levels.

Now I’ll leave it to you to decide how far you want to go to limit your exposure to these chemicals. It’s just one more thing to think about as a person tries to live a healthy, sustainable life.

Advice provided by: Sarah Gudeman, LEED AP, EIT, Morrissey Engineering, Inc.
Location: Omaha, NE

Website: http://www.morrisseyengineering.com/
Phone: (402) 491-4144