Concentrations of brominated flame retardants in plastics of electrical and electronic equipment, vehicles, construction, textiles and non-food packaging: a review of occurrence and management

Abstract

A synthesis of 4000 published data from 35 references of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) concentrations, in plastics of electrical and electronic equipment, vehicles, construction products, textiles and non-food packaging is presented. For POP decabromodiphenylether, a median concentration of 50 mg/kg in plastics of electrical and electronic equipment (n=276), is reported, as well as 31 mg/kg in plastics of vehicles (n=80), 0 mg/kg in plastics of construction (n=81), and 0 mg/kg in plastics of textiles equipment and upholstery (n=75). The mean concentrations are 5200, 3100, 8700 and 6500 mg/kg, respectively. In non-food packaging (expanded or extruded polystyrene), hexabromocyclododecane is present in some samples. All these plastics always have at least one BFR with a mean concentration above the EU regulatory concentration limit for substances, products or hazardous waste. The distribution of all reported concentrations of PBDEs is skewed, with for instance, in plastics of vehicles, 84% of the data lower than 1000 mg decaBDE /kg, and some large values up to 150 000 mg/kg. The sorting and the up-to-date management technologies are for these categories of plastics (estimated to 40% of the plastic use in the EU, the brominated fraction of them being a few percent) necessary to weed out banned substances in the circular economy.