Just saw this on the internet. Wonderful new publicity about brominated
flame retardants. Have posted to HalogenFree forum, but am so mad that I can't
resist posting here, too. What a wonderful piece of scientific reporting.
Denny Fritz
MacDermid, Inc.
****************************************
Updated: 03:42 AM EDT
'Toxic Dust' on Computers Tied to Disease
By RACHEL KONRAD, AP
SAN FRANCISCO (June 3) - "Toxic dust" found on computer processors and
monitors contains chemicals linked to reproductive and neurological disorders,
according to a new study by several environmental groups.
AP
The survey, released Thursday by Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, Computer
TakeBack Campaign and Clean Production Action, is among the first to identify
brominated flame retardants on the surfaces of common devices in homes and
offices.
Electronics companies began using polybrominated diphenyl (PBDEs) and other
flame retardants in the 1970s, arguing that the toxins prevent fires and cannot
escape from plastic casings.
"This will be a great surprise to everyone who uses a computer," said Ted
Smith, director of the Toxics Coalition. "The chemical industry is subjecting us
all to what amounts to chemical trespass by putting these substances into use
in commerce. They continue to use their chemicals in ways that are affecting
humans and other species."
Researchers collected samples of dust from dozens of computers in eight
states, including university computer labs in New York, Michigan and Texas,
legislative offices in California, and an interactive computer display at a
children's museum in Maine. They tested for three types of brominated flame retardants
suspected to be hazardous.
The most toxic piece of equipment discovered by the researchers was a new
flat-screen monitor in a university in New York, implying that newer equipment
isn't necessarily cleaner.
Penta- and octa-brominated diphenyl will be taken off the market by the end
of the year. Environmental groups are demanding legislation that would ban
deca-brominated diphenyl, too.
PBDEs, which have caused neurological damage in laboratory rats in numerous
studies, are related to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). PCBs have been used
in fire extinguishers, fluorescent lights and liquid insulators since the 1920s.
PCBs were outlawed in the 1970s, but the toxins don't erode and still persist
in the environment.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, part of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, and several other organizations have
confirmed that PCBs damage brains of human fetuses.
Scientists have not directly correlated exposure to PBDEs with specific
diseases or developmental impairment. Researchers at University of California,
Davis, and elsewhere are studying possible links between brominated flame
retardants and autism, but results are years away.
Independent researchers who reviewed the new study say consumers shouldn't
throw out their computers, and they needn't wear special gloves or minimize
exposure to computer monitors. There's no known way to remove dust-born PBDEs, so
special wipes or sprays wouldn't reduce chemical exposure.
"The levels in the dust are enough to raise a red flag, but not enough to
create a crisis," said Dr. Gina Solomon, senior scientist at the Natural
Resources Defense Council and assistant professor of medicine at University of
California, San Francisco. "I have an old computer monitor in front of me now, and
I'm not about to throw it away. But when I get a new one, it darn well will be
free of these chemicals."
The electronics industry has been reducing or eliminating some brominated
flame retardants since the late 1990s, when European countries began prohibiting
the sale of products that contain the chemicals.
Dell Inc. and many other computer makers continue using a flame retardant
related to PBDEs on circuit boards. They use lead, mercury and other toxins in
central processing units and monitors. But Dell, along with Apple Computer Inc.
and others, stopped using PBDEs in 2002.
"People can be very confident about their new computer purchase," Dell
spokesman Bryant Hilton said. "We've worked a lot with suppliers, and we require
audits and material data sheets on all our products. It's an important topic to
be aware of, and brominated flame retardants are something we've been very
focused on and will continue to be focused on."
On the Net:
Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition: http://www.svtc.org
06/03/04 22:59 EDT
Copyright 2004 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news
report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed
without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active
hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
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