Environmental Project No. 1179 2007 – Mapping of decabromodiphenylether (decaBDE) in other products than electrical and electronical products

Mapping of decabromodiphenylether (decaBDE) in other products than electrical and electronical products

Summary and conclusions

DecaBDE is not produced in Denmark; however, in theory the compound may access the Danish market through import of the chemical agent as part of semi-finished products or as content in finished products. All three methods are investigated separately.

Information on imported chemical agents and semi-finished products are collected through public registers and contact to trade organization, while information on import of finished products are collected through the same channels supplemented by contact to companies associated in relevant trades. A detailed questionnaire has been sent to approximately 1,000 Danish companies with questions relating to decaBDE content in imported products and knowledge to alternatives, trends, and so on.

The collected information has documented decaBDE import within a number of trades.

5 ton of the compound as chemical agent or part of semi-finished products has been documented. The documented cases have all been import to the plastics industry. The investigation has proven that the major part is re-exported after processing. Import seems connected to isolated specialized contracts and there are no determined indications that decaBDE is used regularly in Danish production.

Data for import of chemical agents or semi-finished products are estimated valid and credible for Danish import from these channels.

As part of finished products decaBDE has been detected in tents, cars, and heat-shrink tubing. Import of decaBDE has not been detected in product groups as upholstered furniture, bedroom articles, cables, furnishing fabrics, glue, nursing articles, baby and children’s articles, paints and joint fillers.

Information on decaBDE import as part of a finished product is subjected to considerable uncertainty. The uncertainty is attached to the selection of product groups, response rate from companies, and the fact that many of the companies in question are unaware of a potential decaBDE content in their products.

It is estimated that the investigation covers so widely that it is unlikely that there are larger product groups using decaBDE that have not been involved. However, the response rate and the lacking knowledge of the products’ content are a larger problem. It is thus a question whether it is possible at this stage to gain an accurate scenario of the import through finished products.

During the project there have been many contacts to companies and centres of excellence. The obtained knowledge as compared to conclusions in formerly published investigations indicates that the greatest uncertainty is attached to the results within the area of imported means of transportation (cars) and upholstered furniture.

The mapping provides information on the fact that decaBDE is generally attempted replaced with other fire-retardant compounds or other methods. It is a general impression from the investigation that there is no demand for products with decaBDE fire-retardant properties in Denmark. In 1999 the Environmental Protection Agency concluded that the use of decaBDE seemed declining. This investigation confirms this assumption.