Elevated concentrations of halogenated flame retardants in waste childcare articles from Ireland

Stuart Harrad*, Daniel Drage, Martin Sharkey, Will Stubbings, Misbah Alghamdi, Harald Berresheim, Marie Coggins, André Henrique Rosa

*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

Concentrations of legacy and alternative halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) including chlorinated organophosphate esters (Cl-OPEs), were measured in waste childcare articles (n = 274 for Cl-OPEs, n = 187 for other HFRs) from the Republic of Ireland between 2019 and 2020. Articles studied comprised foams and fabrics from: child car seats, cot mattresses, changing mats, pushchairs, prams, and related items. Fifteen articles (7.7%) exceeded the European Union limit value of 1000 mg/kg for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) (all due to BDE-209), an additional 15 exceeded the limit for hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD), with 6 articles exceeding the limit for both PBDEs and HBCDD. An even greater proportion of articles contained concentrations exceeding 1000 mg/kg for: tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCIPP) (n = 75, 27%) and tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP) (n = 58, 21%), with concentrations greater than 1000 mg/kg also observed for: tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) (n = 14, 5.0% articles), 2-ethylhexyl tetrabromobenzoate (EH-TBB) (n = 7, 3.7%), decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE), and bis(2-ethylhexyl)tetrabromophthalate (BEH-TEBP) (both n = 5, 2.7%). Overall, 115 samples contained at least one HFR at a concentration exceeding 1000 mg/kg. In addition to the waste management implications of our findings, our data raise concerns about child exposure to HFRs during the use phase of these everyday items.

Original languageEnglish
Article number120732
Number of pages6
JournalEnvironmental Pollution
Volume317
Early online date22 Nov 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 15 Jan 2023

Bibliographical note

Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Keywords

  • Brominated flame retardants
  • Chlorinated organophosphate esters
  • Child car seats
  • Cot mattresses
  • Waste management

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