Flame Retardants | National Institute of Environmental Health ...

What are flame retardants?

Flame retardants are various chemicals applied to materials to prevent burning or slow the spread of fire. The term applies to the function, not a specific composition, of these chemicals.

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Flame retardants are studied because of their abundance in the environment and concerns about their potential health effects.

Where are flame retardants used?

Since the s, flame-retardant chemicals have been added to many types of products:

• Furnishings such as seating foam and coverings (including transport vehicles), mattresses, and carpets.
• Electronics and electrical devices such as computers, phones, televisions, and household appliances.
• Building and construction materials such as coatings for electrical wires and cables, polystyrene foams, and polyurethane insulation such as spray foams.

Because these chemicals do not easily break down, they can remain in the environment and in a body for years. Studies show that some may be hazardous to people and animals.

How are people exposed to flame retardants?

People can come in contact with flame retardants in a variety of ways.

• Chemicals can leach from products into the air and then attach to dust, food, and water, which can be ingested.
• Chemicals seep into the air, water, and soil during manufacturing or application.
• Similarly, the burning or dismantling of electrical and electronic equipment (e-waste), can contaminate the environment with these chemicals, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

What are some of the potential health effects associated with flame retardants?

Learning how these chemicals, and in what amounts, may cause human health effects is an area of active research. Although flame retardants can offer benefits when added to certain products, increasing scientific evidence shows that many of these chemicals may harm animals and humans.

Adverse health effects may include endocrine and thyroid disruption, immunotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, cancer, and adverse effects on fetal and child development and neurobehavioral function.

Who is most vulnerable?

Children are more vulnerable to toxic effects because their brains and other organs are still developing. Hand-to-mouth behavior and play that is close to the floor increases the potential of children to come in contact with harmful chemicals. Several studies demonstrate that exposure is higher in children than adults.

Chronic exposure to flame retardants in the general population, as well as evidence of neurotoxicity from animal studies, raises concern for neurodevelopmental effects in all people.

What is known about different types of flame retardants?

The hundreds of different flame retardants are often grouped according to chemical structure and properties. In general, such groups may be based on whether the flame retardant contains bromine, chlorine, phosphorus, nitrogen, metals, or boron. A few types are described here.

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) contain bromine and are used in many electronics, furniture, and building materials. BFRs have been linked to endocrine disruption and thyroid disfunction. Older compounds have been replaced by new versions that also show toxic endocrine effects.

Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) is a brominated flame-retardant additive used primarily in polystyrene foam building materials. HBCD enters the environment during its production and by leaching from consumer products. It has been found to enter the food supply. Health concerns include alterations in immune and reproductive systems, neurotoxic effects, and endocrine disruption.

Organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) are widely used in textiles, electronics, and industrial materials and as replacements for other types of flame retardants. Studies suggest these chemicals could pose a risk to bone and brain health.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) do not chemically bind with the products to which they are added, such as furniture, and are easily released into air and dust. Production was phased out beginning in . Despite phaseout, this compound is stabile in the environment and products containing PBDEs remain in use, suggesting exposure will continue for some time. A major effort has been devoted to evaluating potential health risks. Evidence links human exposure to neurodevelopmental disorders.

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You have to think about several things before getting a new fabric, whether for wearing or for your furniture. For a fabric to be good, varying things must be considered such as the design, style, comfort, durability, and, most importantly, safety. A flame-resistant fabric may sound amazing, but flame resistant fabric toxic? there are always advantages and disadvantages to every item, no matter how good it sounds. 

Back in the day, if you searched about flame-resistant fabrics being safe and good, the answer would’ve been a simple ‘yes,’ but today, the answer can be a little complicated. 

In this guide, we will talk about whether flame-resistant fabrics are toxic, the risks that come with them, and whether they are safe for you to use. 

What Is A Flame Resistant Fabric?

A #flameretardant fabric quite literally means what its name suggests: it is a fabric that is resistant to catching flames and getting burnt. Certain fabrics are more resistant to flames, while others are less. Fabrics used for covering windows, furniture, or walls are tested for how strong their resistance is against flames.

Some fabrics have natural properties that allow them to be naturally fire-resistant. For example, wool has the most resistance to fire among natural fibers as its quite hard to burn. Some other fire-resistant natural fibers are nylon and polyester because it’s harder to burn them compared to other natural fibers such as linen and cotton. 

As these are naturally flame-resistant fabrics, it is rare to add flame-retardant chemicals to them. However, other fabrics that aren’t quite resistant to fire naturally will be chemically treated to be fire-resistant. They’re either dipped in chemicals or coated with a fire-resistant back coating. The chemical the fabric is dipped in gets absorbed into the fabric and acts as a shield that makes it harder for the flame to pass through the fabric. 

Are Flame-Resistant Fabrics Toxic?

Back in the day, flame-resistant fabrics were considered okay to use because no one was aware of the safety and health risks that came with using flame-resistant fabrics. But today, after there has been plenty of research on these fabrics, it is proven that there are many health-related risks and concerns when it comes to using flame-resistant fabrics. 

Certain health risks including neurobehavioral disorders, hormone disruption, diabetes, development disorders, thyroid problems, reproductive health issues, and even cancer are attributed to this kind of fabric. Which makes it wise to think twice about investing in it.

The health concerns arise from using the fabric not because of the fabric but the flame retardants that are used to make the fabrics fire resistant. These flame retardants are a type of chemical added to these fabrics to make them resistant to flames. These chemicals are often unnecessary and toxic. Apart from the above-mentioned health risks that are caused by being in contact with these flame-resistant fabrics, one major problem of certain flame retardants is that they become concentrated inside the body of the person being in contact with them. This causes long-term chronic health problems as the level of these toxic chemicals starts to build up more and more in the body. 

We aren’t just exposed to flame retardants through flame-resistant fabrics, flame retardants exist in a variety of items, and we can get exposed to them in several ways. We can come in contact with flame retardants through the air we breathe in, through the dust that can get into our body, when we touch our mouths with our hands, and through the water, we drink, as they can contaminate water as well.   

Lots of flame retardants have been discarded from the market and their production has been halted. However, as they easily break down, they exist in the environment for many years. 

Is It Possible To Find Flame Resistant Fabrics That Are Safe For Use?

The quick answer is yes, it is indeed possible. The need for an increase in fire-related safety and health balances out the need to keep people safe from fire-related injury and the health risks that come from being in contact with toxic chemicals. Healthier options are now being produced, such as many companies reducing the use of flame-retardant chemicals in their fabrics. 

However, it is possible to find a flame-resistant fabric that is safe for use, this depends on the vendor you’re acquiring the fabric from. Certain vendors produce flame-resistant fabrics that aren’t as toxic or harmful to your health as other flame-retardant fabrics.

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