An overview of commercially used brominated flame retardants, their applications, their use patterns in different countries/regions and possible modes of release.
Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are used in a variety of consumer products and several of those are produced in large quantities. These compounds have been detected in environmental samples, which can be attributed to the anthropogenic uses of these compounds. Brominated flame retardants are produced via direct bromination of organic molecules or via addition of bromine to alkenes; hence, an overview of the production and usage of bromine over the past three decades is covered. Production, application, and environmental occurrence of high production brominated flame retardants including Tetrabromobisphenol A, polybrominated biphenyls, Penta-, Octa-, Deca-brominated diphenyl ether (oxide) formulation and hexabromocyclododecane are discussed.
Alaee
Mehran
M
National Water Research Institute, 867 Lakeshore Road, PO Box 5050, Burlington, Ontario, Canada L7R 4A6. Mehran.alaee@ec.gc.ca
Arias
Pedro
P
Sjödin
Andreas
A
Bergman
Ake
A
D001966:Bromine / Q000191:economics; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D005411:Flame Retardants; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated / Q000737:chemistry*; D007221:Industry; D008956:Models, Chemical
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005411:Flame Retardants; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated; D001966:Bromine