Book/Book Chapter
Toxicological and environmental factors involved in the selection of decabromodiphenyl oxide as a fire retardant chemical
Norris, JM; Ehrmantraut, JW; Gibbons, CL; Kociba, RJ; Schwetz, BA; Rose, JQ; Humiston, CG; Jewett, GL; Crummett, WB; Gehring, PJ; Tirsell, JB; Brosier, JS
John Wiley & Sons
Polymeric materials for unusual service conditions
is a chapter of
4415188 Polymeric materials for unusual service conditions
The growing need for fire resistant polymers has stimulated development of new compounds for use as fire retardant additives. Their toxicological and environmental properties are a major factor in determining suitability for large-scale use. Both decabromodiphenyl oxide (DBDPO) and octabromobiphenyl (OBBP) perform well as fire retardant additives for thermoplastics. They both have low acute oral toxicity and low skin absorption toxicity. They are neither primary skin irritants or skin sensitizers, and are only mildly irritating to the eyes. A 30-day dietary feeding study in rats established 8 mg DBDPO/kg/day as an unequivocal no-effect level and 80 mg/kg/day as a marginal effect level. A no-effect level was not established for OBBP in a comparative study. Two-year studies on rats providing 0.1 mg DBDPO/kg/ day in the diet revealed bromine concentration in the liver plateaued within 30 days while the concentration in adipose tissue slowly increased. With OBBP the bromine concentration in the liver and adipose tissue increased steadily and rapidly with no attainment of a plateau during 180 days of the study. Neither compound produced an accumulation of bromine in other tissues. After administration of "C DBDPO, all "C activity was eliminated via the feces within 2 days. After administration of "C OBBP, 62% was eliminated with a half-life of less than 24 hours; the half-life for the remainder was greater than 16 days. In teratology studies, 10, 100, or 1000 mg DBDPO/kg/day had no effect in rats.
Environmental testing performed on DBDPO and OBBP include fish bioconcentration, photolytic degradation, sewage decomposition, leaching from plastics, and thermal decomposition products.
Golub, MA; Parker, JA
Applied Polymer Symposia, no. 22
Polymeric Materials for Unusual Service Conditions
Moffett Field, CA
November 29-December 1, 1972
