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Flame Retardant Applications in Camping Tents and Potential Exposure.

ABSTRACT: Concern has mounted over health effects caused by exposure to flame retardant additives used in consumer products. Significant research efforts have focused particularly on exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) used in furniture and electronic applications. However, little attention has focused on applications in textiles, particularly textiles meeting a flammability standard known as CPAI-84. In this study, we investigated flame retardant applications in camping tents that met CPAI-84 standards by analyzing 11 samples of tent fabrics for chemical flame retardant additives. Furthermore, we investigated potential exposure by collecting paired samples of tent wipes and hand wipes from 27 individuals after tent setup. Of the 11 fabric samples analyzed, 10 contained flame retardant additives, which included tris(1,3-dichloroisopropyl) phosphate (TDCPP), decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209), triphenyl phosphate, and tetrabromobisphenol-A. Flame retardant concentrations were discovered to be as high as 37.5 mg/g (3.8% by weight) in the tent fabric samples, and TDCPP and BDE-209 were the most frequently detected in these samples. We also observed a significant association between TDCPP levels in tent wipes and those in paired hand wipes, suggesting that human contact with the tent fabric material leads to the transfer of the flame retardant to the skin surface and human exposure. These results suggest that direct contact with flame retardant-treated textiles may be a source of exposure. Future studies will be needed to better characterize exposure, including via inhalation and dermal sorption from air.

SUBMITTER: Keller AS

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3958138 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Flame Retardant Applications in Camping Tents and Potential Exposure.

Keller Alexander S AS Raju Nikhilesh P NP Webster Thomas F TF Stapleton Heather M HM

Environmental science & technology letters 20140107 2

Concern has mounted over health effects caused by exposure to flame retardant additives used in consumer products. Significant research efforts have focused particularly on exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) used in furniture and electronic applications. However, little attention has focused on applications in textiles, particularly textiles meeting a flammability standard known as CPAI-84. In this study, we investigated flame retardant applications in camping tents that met CPAI ...[more]

PMID: 24804279

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Project description:BackgroundPolybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been largely replaced by organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) and alternative brominated flame retardants (Alt-BFRs) to meet flammability requirements. Humans are ubiquitously exposed to some variety of flame retardants through contact with consumer products directly or through household dust.ObjectivesTo evaluate the effectiveness of house cleaning and hand washing practices to reduce exposure to flame retardants, we measured concentrations in dermal hand wipes and urinary metabolites before and after assignment to two consecutive interventions.MethodsWe selected 32 mother and child dyads from an existing cohort. This analysis focuses on mothers. Participants provided baseline measurements (urine, hand wipes, and questionnaires) and were then assigned for 1 week to either a house cleaning (including instruction on proper technique and cleaning supplies) or hand washing (including instruction on proper technique and soaps) intervention arm. For the second week, participants were assigned to the second intervention in addition to their initial assignment, thus all subjects both washed their hands and cleaned according to the intervention guidelines during week 2. We collected measurements at the end of weeks 1 and 2.ResultsWe found reductions in urinary analytes after week 1 of house cleaning (BCIPHIPP and ip-DPHP), week 1 of hand washing (BCIPP, BCIPHIPP, and tbutyl-DPHP), and week 2 of combined interventions (BCIPHIPP and tbutyl-DPHP), compare to baseline. We found no significant decline in hand wipes in the entire sample but did find reductions after week 1 of house cleaning (BDE 209), week 1 of hand washing (TCEP), and week 2 of combined interventions (TDCIPP and BDE 209) in women with exposure above the median at baseline (verified through simulations).ConclusionsExposure to individual flame retardants was reduced by about half, in some cases, by 1 week of increased hand washing, house cleaning to reduce dust, or combined activities.

Project description:In 1973, the Velsicol Chemical Company, which manufactured FireMaster, a brominated flame retardant, and NutriMaster, a nutritional supplement, mistakenly shipped hundreds of pounds of FireMaster to grain mills around Michigan where it was incorporated into animal feed and then into the food chain across the state. An estimated 6.5 million Michigan residents consumed polybrominated biphenyl (PBB)-laced animal products leading to one of the largest agricultural accidents in U.S. history. To date, there have been no studies investigating the effects of PBB on epigenetic regulation in sperm, which could explain some of the endocrine-related health effects observed among children of PBB-exposed parents. Fusing epidemiological approaches with a novel in vitro model of human spermatogenesis, we demonstrate that exposure to PBB153, the primary component of FireMaster, alters the epigenome in human spermatogenic cells. Using our novel stem cell-based spermatogenesis model, we show that PBB153 exposure decreases DNA methylation at regulatory elements controlling imprinted genes. Furthermore, PBB153 affects DNA methylation by reducing de novo DNA methyltransferase activity at increasing PBB153 concentrations as well as reducing maintenance DNA methyltransferase activity at the lowest tested PBB153 concentration. Additionally, PBB153 exposure alters the expression of genes critical to proper human development. Taken together, these results suggest that PBB153 exposure alters the epigenome by disrupting methyltransferase activity leading to defects in imprint establishment causing altered gene expression, which could contribute to health concerns in the children of men exposed to PBB153. While this chemical is toxic to those directly exposed, the results from this study indicate that the epigenetic repercussions may be detrimental to future generations. Above all, this model may be expanded to model a multitude of environmental exposures to elucidate the effect of various chemicals on germline epigenetics and how paternal exposure may impact the health of future generations.

Project description:Polyurethane foam (PUF) in upholstered furniture frequently is treated with flame retardant chemicals (FRs) to reduce its flammability and adhere to rigorous flammability standards. For decades, a commercial mixture of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) called PentaBDE was commonly applied to foam to fulfill these regulations; however, concerns over toxicity, bioaccumulation, and persistence led to a global phase-out in the mid-2000s. Although PentaBDE is still detected in older furniture, other FR compounds such as tris(1,3-dichloroisopropyl) phosphate (TDCIPP) and Firemaster® 550 (FM550) have been increasingly used as replacements. While biomonitoring studies suggest exposure is widespread, the primary sources of exposure are not clearly known. Here, we investigated the relationships between specific FR applications in furniture foam and human exposure. Paired samples of furniture foam, house dust and serum samples were collected from a cohort in North Carolina, USA and analyzed for FRs typically used in PUF. In general, the presence of a specific FR in the sofa of a home was associated with an increase in the concentration of that FR in house dust. For example, the presence of PentaBDE in sofas was associated with significantly higher levels of BDE-47, a major component of PentaBDE, in house dust (10β=6.4, p<0.001). A similar association was observed with a component of FM550, 2-ethylhexyl-2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoate (EH-TBB), with levels that were approximately 3 times higher in house dust when FM550 was identified in the sofa foam (p<0.01). These relationships were modified by dust loading rates in the living room and the ratio of sofa size to room size. Interestingly, levels of TDCIPP and tris(1-chloro-2-isopropyl) phosphate (TCIPP) were also higher in dust with detections in sofa foam; however, these associations were not statistically significant and may suggest there are other prominent sources of these compounds in the home. In addition, the presence of PentaBDE in sofa foam was associated with significantly higher levels of BDE-47 in serum (p<0.01). These results suggest that FR applications in sofas are likely major sources of exposure to these compounds in the home.

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Flame Retardant Applications in Camping Tents and Potential Exposure.

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Flame Retardant Applications in Camping Tents and Potential Exposure.

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