title: Towards development of a rapid and effective non-destructive testing strategy to identify brominated flame retardants in the plastics of consumer products.
abstract: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a class of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) once extensively used in the plastics of a wide range of consumer products. The listing of certain congeners that are constituents of commercial PBDE mixtures (including c-octaBDE) in the Stockholm Convention and tightening regulation of many other BFRs in recent years have created the need for a rapid and effective method of identifying BFR-containing plastics. A three-tiered testing strategy comparing results from non-destructive testing (X-ray fluorescence (XRF)) (n=1714), a surface wipe test (n=137) and destructive chemical analysis (n=48) was undertaken to systematically identify BFRs in a wide range of consumer products. XRF rapidly identified bromine in 92% of products later confirmed to contain BFRs. Surface wipes of products identified tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), c-octaBDE congeners and BDE-209 with relatively high accuracy (>75%) when confirmed by destructive chemical analysis. A relationship between the amounts of BFRs detected in surface wipes and subsequent destructive testing shows promise in predicting not only the types of BFRs present but also estimating the concentrations present. Information about the types of products that may contain persistent BFRs will assist regulators in implementing policies to further reduce the occurrence of these chemicals in consumer products.
authors: The University of Queensland, National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology (Entox), 39 Kessels Road, Coopers Plains, Brisbane, QLD 4108, Australia. Electronic address: c.bentley@uq.edu.au.
authors: Christie
authors: C
authors: Gallen
authors: The University of Queensland, National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology (Entox), 39 Kessels Road, Coopers Plains, Brisbane, QLD 4108, Australia.
authors: Andrew
authors: A
authors: Banks
authors: VU University of Amsterdam, Institute for Environmental Studies, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Sicco
authors: S
authors: Brandsma
authors: The University of Queensland, National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology (Entox), 39 Kessels Road, Coopers Plains, Brisbane, QLD 4108, Australia.
authors: Christine
authors: C
authors: Baduel
authors: The University of Queensland, National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology (Entox), 39 Kessels Road, Coopers Plains, Brisbane, QLD 4108, Australia.
authors: Phong
authors: P
authors: Thai
authors: The University of Queensland, National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology (Entox), 39 Kessels Road, Coopers Plains, Brisbane, QLD 4108, Australia.
authors: Geoff
authors: G
authors: Eaglesham
authors: The University of Queensland, National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology (Entox), 39 Kessels Road, Coopers Plains, Brisbane, QLD 4108, Australia.
authors: Amy
authors: A
authors: Heffernan
authors: VU University of Amsterdam, Institute for Environmental Studies, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Pim
authors: P
authors: Leonards
authors: Australian Government Department of the Environment, GPO Box 787, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
authors: Paul
authors: P
authors: Bainton
authors: The University of Queensland, National Research Centre for Environmental Toxicology (Entox), 39 Kessels Road, Coopers Plains, Brisbane, QLD 4108, Australia.
authors: Jochen F
authors: JF
authors: Mueller
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000032:analysis*; D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000032:analysis*; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated / Q000032:analysis*; D008420:Manufactured Materials / Q000032:analysis*; D010969:Plastics / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D005411:Flame Retardants; D015386:Hazardous Substances; D006842:Hydrocarbons, Brominated; D010969:Plastics
keywords: BFRs; Consumer products; Plastic; Surface wipe; X-ray fluorescence; c-OctaBDE