News Coverage
Europe, U.S. differ on fire retardant rules
Published September 22, 2003
The European Union has taken a tougher line than the U.S. government on regulation of a controversial group of chemical fire retardants that have been found in the breast milk of women.
Europe has been moving toward phasing out some PBDEs, a group of bromine-based fire retardants that have been found the breast milk of American and European women.
The Environmental Protection Agency has no specific safety standard for their manufacture, use or disposal, according to the Environmental Working Group, a national environmental group that focuses on chemical contamination.
"EPA over time has looked at a fairly significant amount of information on PBDEs," EPA spokesman Dave Deegan said. "At this point, EPA has not concluded there is any cause for regulatory action. We're continuing to get more data and develop more information."
The European Union has banned the two most toxic forms of PBDEs known as penta and octa beginning in August of next year. The case for phasing out PBDEs gained momentum in 1999 after Swedish scientists reported that levels of the fire retardants were increasing in women's breast milk over time.
The European Union is also considering a ban on deca - the type of PBDE produced in the highest volume - for use in electronic products by July 2006. Pending the completion of further studies, the European Union's Chemicals Inspectorate will decide whether to also ban deca in other non-electronic products as of 2006.
In the United States, only one state, California, has banned some of the chemical fire retardants, with a phase-out set for completion in 2008.