[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-271633-105":59,"doc-detail-271633-en":131},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":124,"head_meta":126,"extra_data":128,"updated_unix":130},105,"en","halogenated-flame-retardants-do-the-fire-safety-benefits-justify-the-risks","Halogenated Flame Retardants: Do the Fire Safety Benefits Justify the Risks?","","Since the 1970s, regulations have expanded the use of brominated and chlorinated flame retardants, which are now recognized as global contaminants linked to adverse health outcomes in animals and humans. Evidence covers endocrine and thyroid disruption, immunotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, cancer, and developmental and neurologic effects. Some compounds such as PBDEs were phased out for persistence and toxicity, yet replacements are organohalogens of uncertain hazard.",{"@graph":69,"@context":123},[70,84,106],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/halogenated-flame-retardants-do-the-fire-safety-benefits-justify-the-risks/271633/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/halogenated-flame-retardants-do-the-fire-safety-benefits-justify-the-risks/271633.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"4398046744996","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-17","2026-09-15",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":105},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",12,{"@type":107,"mainEntity":108},"FAQPage",[109,115,119],{"name":110,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":112},"What health and environmental risks are associated with halogenated flame retardants?","Question",{"text":113,"@type":114},"The paper links brominated and chlorinated flame retardants to endocrine and thyroid disruption, immunotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, cancer, and adverse effects on fetal/child development and neurologic function, alongside global environmental contamination.","Answer",{"name":116,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":117},"Why were some flame retardants phased out, and what replaced them?",{"text":118,"@type":114},"Some compounds such as PBDEs were banned or voluntarily phased out due to environmental persistence and toxicity. They have been replaced by other organohalogens with unknown toxicity.",{"name":120,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":121},"How should policy weigh fire safety benefits against chemical risks?",{"text":122,"@type":114},"It recommends life-cycle analyses and decision-making that consider health and environmental effects of the chemicals and also their fire safety impacts, including combustion by-products. It also argues for reducing or avoiding toxic or untested flame retardants without compromising fire safety.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":125,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":127,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":129,"site_id":62},271633,1789461017,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":132},{"doc_id":129,"user_id":133,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":66,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":105,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":139,"language":140,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":130,"read_time":144,"preview_page_count":4},4398046744996,"Halogenated Flame Retardants: Do the Fire Safety Benefits Justify the Risks?  \nSusan D. Shaw, 1 Arlene Blum,2 Roland Weber,3,4 Kurunthachalam Kannan,5 David Rich,6 Donald Lucas,7 Catherine P. Koshland,8 Dina Dobraca,9 Sarah Hanson10 and Linda S. Birnbaum11  \n1Marine Environmental Research Institute, Center for Marine Studies, Blue Hill, ME 04614 USA; 2Dept of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA; 3MTM Research Center, Örebro University, SE 701 82 Örebro, Sweden; 4POPs Environmental Consulting, D-73035, Goeppingen, Germany; 5 Wadsworth Center, New York State Dept of Health, and Dept of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, State University of New York at Albany, NY 12201-0509 USA; 6Combustion and Fire Processes Laboratory, University of California; 7Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA; 8Environmental Health Science, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; 9Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA; 10 Green Science Policy Institute, Berkeley, CA, 94708, USA; 11National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 USA  \nAbstract: Since the 1970s, an increasing number of regulations have expanded the use of brominated and chlorinated flame retardants. Many of these chemicals are now recognized as global contaminants and are associated with adverse health effects in animals and humans, including endocrine and thyroid disruption, immunotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, cancer, and adverse effects on fetal and child development and neurologic function. Some flame retardants such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been banned or voluntarily phased out by manufacturers because of their environmental persistence and toxicity, only to be replaced by other organohalogens of unknown toxicity. Despite restrictions on further production in some countries, consumer products previously treated with banned retardants are still in use and continue to release toxic chemicals into the environment, and the worldwide use of organohalogen retardants continues to increase. This paper examines major uses and known toxic effects of commonly-used organohalogen flame retardants, replacements for those that have been phased out, their combustion by-products, and their effectiveness at reducing fire hazard. Policy and other solutions to maintain fire safety while reducing toxicity are suggested. The major conclusions are: (1) Flammability regulations can cause greater adverse environmental and health impacts than fire safety benefits. (2) The current options for end-of-life disposal of products treated with organohalogens retardants are problematic. (3) Life-cycle analyses evaluating benefits and risks should consider the health and environmental effects of the chemicals, as well as their fire safety impacts. (4) Most fire deaths and most fire injuries result from inhaling carbon monoxide, irritant gases, and soot. The incorporation of organohalogens can increase the yield of these toxic by-products during combustion. (5) Fire-safe cigarettes, fire-safe candles, child-resistant lighters, sprinklers, and smoke detectors can prevent fires without the potential adverse effects of flame retardant chemicals. (6) Alternatives to organohalogen flame retardant chemicals include using less flammable materials, design changes, and safer chemicals. To date, before evaluating their health and environmental impacts, many flame retardant chemicals have been produced and used, resulting in high levels of human exposure. As a growing literature continues to find adverse impacts from such chemicals, a more systematic approach to their regulation is needed. Before implementing new flammability standards, decision-makers should evaluate the potential fire safety benefit versus the health and environmental impacts of the chemicals, materials, or technologie","cbCaisoA5U0AyCVP","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaisoA5U0AyCVP","pdf",662979,45,"English","# Introduction\n# Major Uses, Regulatory Restrictions, and Replacement Flame Retardants\n## Major Uses\n## Regulatory Restrictions and Replacement Flame Retardant Chemicals\n# Health Effects of Halogenated Flame Retardants in Animals and Humans\n## Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs)\n## Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA)\n## Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD)\n## Short-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins (SCCPs)\n## PentaBDE Replacements: Firemaster 550 Components and Chlorinated Tris (TDCPP)\n# Brominated Flame Retardants Unintentionally Produce Brominated Dioxins and Furans\n## Environmental, Food, and Human Contamination\n## Toxicity of Brominated Dioxins and Furans\n## Formation and Release of Brominated Dioxins and Furans During the Life Cycle\n# End-of-Life Considerations for Halogenated Flame Retarded Materials\n## Recycling of Brominated Flame Retarded Materials\n## Combustion of Materials Containing Halogenated Flame Retardants\n## Landfilling and Release of Halogenated Flame Retardants from Landfills\n# Flammability Standards and Their Implementation","[{\"question\":\"What health and environmental risks are associated with halogenated flame retardants?\",\"answer\":\"The paper links brominated and chlorinated flame retardants to endocrine and thyroid disruption, immunotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, cancer, and adverse effects on fetal/child development and neurologic function, alongside global environmental contamination.\"},{\"question\":\"Why were some flame retardants phased out, and what replaced them?\",\"answer\":\"Some compounds such as PBDEs were banned or voluntarily phased out due to environmental persistence and toxicity. They have been replaced by other organohalogens with unknown toxicity.\"},{\"question\":\"How should policy weigh fire safety benefits against chemical risks?\",\"answer\":\"It recommends life-cycle analyses and decision-making that consider health and environmental effects of the chemicals and also their fire safety impacts, including combustion by-products. It also argues for reducing or avoiding toxic or untested flame retardants without compromising fire safety.\"}]","Halogenated Flame Retardants: Do the Fire Safety Benefits Justify the Risks? | PDF",113]