Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs)

Older upholstered furniture, mattresses, carpet padding, electronics, plastic housings, household dust, contaminated food, and environmental pollution

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a group of brominated flame-retardant chemicals historically added to furniture foam, plastics, textiles, electronics, and other consumer products to reduce flammability. Because PBDEs are not chemically bound to these materials, they can be released over time and accumulate in indoor dust and the environment. Exposure can occur through contaminated food, household dust, and contact with older products containing these chemicals. Many PBDEs persist in the environment and can accumulate in living organisms. Certain PBDE congeners and commercial mixtures are listed under Annex A of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, which establishes measures to eliminate their production and use, subject to specified exemptions. Examples include commercial pentaBDE, octaBDE, and decaBDE mixtures, which contain different combinations of individual PBDE congeners. Certain polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are regulated under Annex A of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, which establishes measures to eliminate their production and use, subject to specified exemptions. They are also covered under the European Union's Persistent Organic Pollutants Regulation (EU) 2019/1021, which restricts the manufacture, use, and placing on the market of specified PBDE congeners and establishes requirements for managing waste containing these chemicals. These restrictions apply to defined PBDE congeners and mixtures rather than all brominated flame retardants.