PBDE-silver+class+'09

Teila Allmond and Jasmine Hollerway =PBDEs =  (Polybrominated Diphenylethers)

Background
This chemical is a flame retardant that is used in plastics, foams, fabrics and other materials. By it being a flame retardant it does save lives and property but at the same time it is a hazard to their health. It is used widely from places in Canada to right here in the USA.

Health/Environmental Affects
This chemical interacts with objects such as carpets, cushions, chairs, telephones, toys, and any other item that is flammable. PBDEs cannot be easily broken down because it doesn't occur in the environment naturally. Because of this once it is released into the environment it is hard to get rid of and can cause serious damage. It affects the air, soil and the water directly. It also gets into animal and plant tissues causing further problems. Sunlight can degrade some PBDEs and cause it to turn into dust. The only way that is can be disposed of is in the normal domestic way which is why it is such an environmental problem.

Economic/Political Impact
Everyone could be affected if this chemical was banned because in the event of a fire, the situation could get worse faster. Also, if this chemical was banned, then in the future that would be less toxins from this chemical, and less of a danger to the environment and society. We would still have the products that we have now. The products that this chemical is in aren’t products that we could just get rid of.

Abstract
PBDE are toxic chemicals that are used as flame-retardants to protect furniture and another flammable objects. These flame-retardants are used in many products that can be found around the house such as electronics and even some toys. PBDE flame-retardants come in three different mixtures, which are: Penta-BDEs, Octa-BDEs, and Deca-BDEs. Most countries consider Penta-BDEs and Octa-BDEs to be more likely to cause the most harm so they attempted to ban them both. PBDE chemicals can be seriously effect the health of humans as well as animals. It can cause problems such as thyroid hormone disruption, learning, memory hearing problems, behavioral changes, and even possible cancer. The most damage is usually occurs more often during infancy than adulthood which is cause for alarm because PBDE chemicals are used in toys. But not only does it affect humans and animals but it affects the air around us, the water, in the soil and even in food. Polyborminated diphenyl ether flame-retardants are bad for our lives and our community. It is an active toxin in our lives and the use of it needs to be reduced if not exposed of. Over the last few years the use of it has been reduced to levels that cause very little effect to the health of people animals and the environment, but there’s always room for improvement. Canada has taken the most action with PBDE chemicals by conducting reaserch on environmental contaminants and monetering their food to measure how much it actually contaminates the things that are in close contact to us daily.

Summary
Polybrominated diphenylethers, or PBDEs, are very important flame retardant chemicals. They are used in many household products. The foam in a couch contains PBDEs. The insulation on wires contains PBDEs as well. Many plastics are made with them as well. These chemicals are useful because they slow the time it takes for the product to ignite. That gives people more time to get out or away from the danger of the fire. It also slows the fire down so it won’t grow as fast. The bad thing about this chemical is that it has been found to cause environmental toxicity, liver, thyroid, and neurodevelopmental toxicity. If this chemical is as dangerous and can cause as many future problems as researchers think, then they should find an alternative product. They should stop the use of this one. If it can potentially make people sick or cause death, then we should follow the example of other countries and some companies, and stop the use of the product.

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