[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-584415-105":59,"doc-detail-584415-en":124},{"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":117,"head_meta":119,"extra_data":121,"updated_unix":123},105,"en","pbde-toxic-flame-retardant-what-women-children-and-school-personnel-need-to-know","PBDE: Toxic Flame Retardant - What Women, Children and School Personnel Need to Know","","PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) are man-made flame-retardant chemicals used in many household, school, and electronic products, and they do not break down. The document explains that PBDEs persist in the environment and bioaccumulate in the body, with evidence of far higher levels in the U.S. than in Europe. It highlights specific concerns about deca-BDE in schools, its neurotoxicity, and rising levels in breast milk and other sources. Health effects described include impaired learning, memory, attention, thyroid disruption, immune depression, reproductive and neurological problems, and potential cancer risk.",{"@graph":69,"@context":116},[70,84,99],{"@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":35,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/pbde-toxic-flame-retardant-what-women-children-and-school-personnel-need-to-know/584415/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"author":86,"headline":65,"publisher":89,"fileFormat":92,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":93,"datePublished":93,"encodingFormat":92,"isAccessibleForFree":94,"interactionStatistic":95},"DigitalDocument",{"name":87,"@type":88},"WPS_1786070896","Person",{"url":74,"name":90,"@type":91},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":96,"interactionType":97,"userInteractionCount":4},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":98},"ViewAction",{"@type":100,"mainEntity":101},"FAQPage",[102,108,112],{"name":103,"@type":104,"acceptedAnswer":105},"What are PBDE flame retardants and where are they found?","Question",{"text":106,"@type":107},"PBDEs are chemical flame-retardants used to prevent or slow the spread of fire. They are found in carpets, foam, polyester clothing and bedding, wallpaper, toys, household dust, plastics, food products, and various electronic devices.","Answer",{"name":109,"@type":104,"acceptedAnswer":110},"Why is deca-BDE a special concern?",{"text":111,"@type":107},"The document describes deca-BDE as a high-volume flame-retardant mixture that can break down into more toxic forms. It also states that deca is widely present in the environment and is a neurological toxin with children facing the highest exposure.",{"name":113,"@type":104,"acceptedAnswer":114},"What health effects are associated with PBDE exposure?",{"text":115,"@type":107},"Studies cited in the document link PBDEs to impaired learning, memory, attention, and behavior, disruption of thyroid function, immune depression, reproductive and neurological problems, and possible cancer risk. It also notes that thyroid impairment during pregnancy can harm brain and sensory organ function.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":118,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":90,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":120,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":122,"site_id":62},584415,1792050934,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":125},{"doc_id":122,"user_id":126,"nickname":87,"user_avatar":127,"doc_module":4,"category_id":34,"category_name":35,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":128,"file_id":129,"file_url":130,"file_type":131,"file_size":132,"view_count":4,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":19,"language":133,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":134,"faqs":135,"seo_title":136,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":123,"read_time":52},549768072016,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_155a257f0dc6eb9ab79c44ca47cae57d","Guide To  \nPBDE: Toxic Flame Retardant What Women, Children and School Personnel  \nNeed to Know  \nHealthy Schools Network, [Inc. www.healthyschools.org](Inc. www.healthyschools.org)  \n© 2007, 2012  \nWhat are Flame Retardants?  \nChemical flame-retardants are used in a variety of products to prevent the  \nspread and occurrence of fire. While fire safety is critical, this family of chemicals, known as Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are highly toxic. They are found  \nin carpeting, foam cushions, polyester clothing and bedding, wallpaper, toys, household dust, a variety of plastic products, meat and dairy products, computers, faxes, cell phones and other electronic devices.  \nPBDEs are man-made chemicals that do not break down and are bioaccumulative; they build up in our bodies over our lifetimes and accumulate in the environment. Structurally, they are similar to PCBs, which were banned in 1979 because of their high toxicity, persistence, and evidence that they can cause developmental problems in children.  \nAccording to Environmental Working Group, [the U.S. is](the U.S. is) the world’s largest maker and user of PBDEs, and levels found in Americans are as much as 100 times higher than in Europe, where PBDEs were banned in 2001. There are three types of polybrominated diphenyl ethers– penta, octa and deca– which work differently for various applications.  \nToxic Flame Retardants in American Schools  \nPBDEs, especially deca-BDE, are in products commonly found in schools. They are in furniture upholstery, drapes, seating, office equipment, televisions, computers and other educational technology. In fall 2001, an estimated 99 percent  \nof U.S. public schools had access to the Internet. Today, there is about one instructional computer for every three students in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Scientists have found PBDE chemicals in dust samples swiped from computers and  \ninteractive technology, which can easily be inhaled or ingested and can rapidly accumulate in children’s bodies. In tiny doses these fire retardants impair attention, learning, memory and behavior in laboratory animals.  \nRising Levels in the U.S .  \nx Levels of PBDEs in U.S. women’s breast milk are 10-100 times higher than levels in European women.  \nx PBDE levels [in U.S. fish](in U.S. fish), sediments, and wastewater are increasing.  \nx Total PBDE levels in breast milk, blood and tissues have increased by a factor of 100 during the past 30 years, doubling about every five years.  \nx PBDE levels in the Great Lakes trout doubled every 3-4 years between 1980 and 2000.  \n1  \nThe Dangers of Deca-BDE:  \nx The three most common formulations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers-penta, octa and deca–contain different numbers of atoms of bromine in molecules. Penta has an average of five bromines, octa has eight, and deca has mostly 10 bromines per PBDE molecule.  \nx Penta and octa-PBDE have been voluntarily phased out by Chemtura (previously called Great Lakes Chemical Corp), the only U.S. manufacturer of these two chemicals. However, deca is still of great concern.  \nx Deca-BDE is the highest volume commercial flame retardant mixture, and can easily breakdown to more toxic forms, including penta andocta that have been phased out.  \nx Deca is widely found in the environment, and builds up in fish and the human body, including umbilical cord blood and breast milk. High concentrations are also in dust found indoors.  \nx Deca is a neurological toxin and children are most highly exposed.  \nThe European Union has already restricted the use of deca in electronic devices and two U.S. states have passed legislation calling for aphaseout of deca in residential products.  \nThe widest use of deca (up to 80 percent) is in plastic polymers commonly used to make computer and audio/video equipment, cell phones, fax machines, appliances and televisions. Deca is also used in textile and wire and cable applications.  \nDeca can degrade into more toxic","cbCaikrqi7voZpjy","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaikrqi7voZpjy","pdf",586744,"English","# What are Flame Retardants?\n## Toxic Flame Retardants in American Schools\n## Rising Levels in the U.S.\n## The Dangers of Deca-BDE\n## Health Effects of PBDEs","[{\"question\":\"What are PBDE flame retardants and where are they found?\",\"answer\":\"PBDEs are chemical flame-retardants used to prevent or slow the spread of fire. They are found in carpets, foam, polyester clothing and bedding, wallpaper, toys, household dust, plastics, food products, and various electronic devices.\"},{\"question\":\"Why is deca-BDE a special concern?\",\"answer\":\"The document describes deca-BDE as a high-volume flame-retardant mixture that can break down into more toxic forms. It also states that deca is widely present in the environment and is a neurological toxin with children facing the highest exposure.\"},{\"question\":\"What health effects are associated with PBDE exposure?\",\"answer\":\"Studies cited in the document link PBDEs to impaired learning, memory, attention, and behavior, disruption of thyroid function, immune depression, reproductive and neurological problems, and possible cancer risk. It also notes that thyroid impairment during pregnancy can harm brain and sensory organ function.\"}]","PBDE: Toxic Flame Retardant - What Women, Children and School Personnel Need to Know | PDF"]