Fireproofing chemicals ban urged

SEATTLE – Two state agencies have called for an immediate ban on fireproofing chemicals that scientists say are being found in Columbia River fish, seal blubber, grizzly bears and women’s breast milk.

The state departments of Health and Ecology are asking the Legislature to ban all trade in polybrominated diphenyl ethers, commonly called PBDEs.

The joint recommendation is the result of a two-year review, which drew praise from environmental and medical groups and criticism from an international organization representing chemical manufacturers.

It’s too soon to tell how the proposal will do in the Legislature, where similar bans have been considered but not approved.

Millions of people are exposed to the chemicals, which are added to such products as foam seat cushions, mattresses and fabrics as well as to computers and televisions, said Rob Duff, the Health Department’s director of environmental health assessments.

The health effects of the chemicals at the levels measured are unknown. But tests on laboratory animals with higher concentrations suggest potentially harmful effects on brain and reproductive organ development, and disruption of thyroid and estrogen function.

The 307-page state plan recommends that the Legislature ban the sale of new products containing two forms of the flame retardants: penta- and octa-BDEs, which are considered the most dangerous. It advises expanding the ban to a third compound, deca-BDE, if a safe substitute is identified.

Scientists are not sure how the fireproofing compounds are released by plastic and foam to enter the bodies of people and animals. They’ve been found in household dust and might be released in small amounts as a gas.

Ten other states have approved laws to ban or phase out the use of penta- and octa-BDEs.

In 2004, U.S. manufacturers of the two chemicals voluntarily stopped production, making deca-BDEs the most commonly used form. Its largest use is in the black plastic casings of TVs.

Legislation proposed last year that calls for a PBDE ban is still under consideration in the Legislature. It goes further than the state agencies’ plan, banning penta- and octa-BDEs by 2007 and setting a 2010 goal for banning deca-BDEs if alternatives are found.

“The bill sends a strong signal to the marketplace for companies who aren’t already out of deca to get out of this,” said Laurie Valeriano, policy director for the Washington Toxics Coalition, a Seattle-based environmental group.

Hewlett-Packard, Panasonic and many other companies are already turning to other forms of fireproofing for their products.

Deca-BDEs are well-researched and nontoxic in application, said John Kyte, North American program director for the Bromine Science and Environmental Forum, an international industry group.

“Where people may desire an alternative, there is nothing out there that has this kind of track record,” he said.

After years of research, the European Union has decided not to ban deca-BDEs for now.

“If Washington state were to enact a ban on deca, they would be the first jurisdiction in the world to do so,” Kyte said.