Access the full text.
Sign up today, get DeepDyve free for 14 days.
D. Santillo, P. Johnston, I. Labunska, K. Brigden
Swimming in chemicals, widespread presence of Brominated flame retardants and PCBs in eels ( Anguilla anguilla ) from rivers and lakes in 10 European countries
R. Macdonald, T. Hamer, J. Fyfe, H. Loeng, T. Weingartner (2003)
AMAP Assessment 2002: The Influence of Global Change on Contaminant Pathways to, within, and from the Arctic.
R. MacDonald, T. Harner, J. Pyfe, H. Loeng, T. Weingartner
The influence of global change containment pathways to, within and from the Arctic
P. Johnston (2005)
Widespread presence of brominated flame retardants and PCBs in eels (Anguilla anguilla) from rivers and lakes in 10 European countries
S. Lunder, R. Sharp
High levels of toxic fire retardants contaminate American homes
David Brown, I. Overmeire, L. Goeyens, M. Denison, Michael Vito, G. Clark (2004)
Analysis of Ah receptor pathway activation by brominated flame retardants.Chemosphere, 55 11
D. Herzke, U. Berger, R. Kallenborn, T. Nygård, W. Vetter (2005)
Brominated flame retardants and other organobromines in Norwegian predatory bird eggs.Chemosphere, 61 3
Flemming Simonsen, M. Stavnsbjerg, L. Møller, T. Madsen (2000)
Brominated flame retardants; Toxicity and ecotoxicity
D. Santillo, P. Johnston (2003)
Playing with fire: the global threat presented by brominated flame retardants justifies urgent substitution.Environment international, 29 6
K. Norén, Daiva Meironyte (2000)
Certain organochlorine and organobromine contaminants in Swedish human milk in perspective of past 20-30 years.Chemosphere, 40 9-11
Purpose – To give an overview of the mechanisms by which brominated flame retardants (BFRs) used in the electronics industry enter, and are transported, in the environment. The potential impacts of BFRs on living organisms are also outlined. Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides an explanation of the environmental issues and impacts on living organisms of BFRs that are used extensively in electrical and electronic applications. It is compiled using information from examples of the published literature and seeks to give an explanation for the increasing pressure on the electronics industry to limit the use of BFRs and to introduce non‐halogenated alternatives. Findings – Despite typically being incorporated into thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers, BFRs have been found to enter the environment and to accumulate in regions of the world. The mechanisms by which this migration can occur are complex and influenced by a wide variety of factors. However, such migration has lead to BFRs being found in areas such as the artic, which are far from their original source. They are also able to accumulate up the food chain where they can become concentrated enough to cause health problems for mammals and humans. Research limitations/implications – This short review paper can only provide an introduction to how BFRs enter the environment. Nevertheless, there is a growing amount of evidence that BFRs can have a negative impact in the environment and it seems likely that this will lead to calls for the further restriction of these undoubtedly valuable materials. Originality/value – The paper gives an introduction to the fate of BFRs and discusses how they are able to migrate from the products they are used to protect and into the environment. Their accumulation in the food web and impact on living organisms are also discussed.
Circuit World – Emerald Publishing
Published: Dec 1, 2006
Keywords: Flame retardants; Electronics industry; Transportation
Read and print from thousands of top scholarly journals.
Already have an account? Log in
Bookmark this article. You can see your Bookmarks on your DeepDyve Library.
To save an article, log in first, or sign up for a DeepDyve account if you don’t already have one.
Copy and paste the desired citation format or use the link below to download a file formatted for EndNote
Access the full text.
Sign up today, get DeepDyve free for 14 days.
All DeepDyve websites use cookies to improve your online experience. They were placed on your computer when you launched this website. You can change your cookie settings through your browser.