Halogenated Flame Retardants in Consumer Products: Do the Fire Safety Benefits Justify the Health and Environmental Risks?

Beginning in the 1970’s, increasing flammability standards in the United States for children’s sleepwear and foam in furniture were met with the use of brominated or chlorinated flame retardants without consideration of potential adverse health or environmental impacts of these chemicals. Since that time a series of toxic, persistent and/or bioaccumulative halogenated flame retardants have been removed from use, only to be replaced by others with similar properties (Blum 2007). The continued use of certain halogenated flame retardants in consumer products is of considerable concern as current research suggests they have the potential to contribute to serious long term health problems, while providing only limited fire safety benefits.