Emission of Flame Retardants from Consumer Products and Building Materials (Research Report 299 65 321 / UBA-FB 00,475)
- Various insulating boards, assembly foams, PC-systems, upholstery and a mattress were examined for possible
emissions of polybrominated and organophosphorus flame retardants. 0.02 m3- and 1m3- emission test chambers and
1Llitre cells were used to perform the investigations. The substances of interest are mainly classified as SVOC. A
sampling technique using polyurethane foam plugs and special analytical methods was developed. The PUF-plugs were
extracted by ultrasonic and soxhlet extraction and the extracts were concentrated. The analyses were performed by
GC/MS and HPLC/DAD. Chamber measurements were generally taken over 28 days, but in the case of SVOC, a test
period of a minimum of 100 days was necessary to achieve equilibrium. The determination of most of OPCs was
successful using emission test chambers. Due to sink effects the determination of low volatile OPC such as RDP and
BDP needs to be improved. Brominated flame retardants are quantifiable up to hexabrominated compoundsVarious insulating boards, assembly foams, PC-systems, upholstery and a mattress were examined for possible
emissions of polybrominated and organophosphorus flame retardants. 0.02 m3- and 1m3- emission test chambers and
1Llitre cells were used to perform the investigations. The substances of interest are mainly classified as SVOC. A
sampling technique using polyurethane foam plugs and special analytical methods was developed. The PUF-plugs were
extracted by ultrasonic and soxhlet extraction and the extracts were concentrated. The analyses were performed by
GC/MS and HPLC/DAD. Chamber measurements were generally taken over 28 days, but in the case of SVOC, a test
period of a minimum of 100 days was necessary to achieve equilibrium. The determination of most of OPCs was
successful using emission test chambers. Due to sink effects the determination of low volatile OPC such as RDP and
BDP needs to be improved. Brominated flame retardants are quantifiable up to hexabrominated compounds using
emission test chambers as a reference method. The emission of lower volatile compounds, e.g. HBCD, was strongly
affected by sink effects. Emission of decaBDE was not quantifiable at all. Based on the results presented further
investigations are required for an adequate risk assessment of flame retarded products and their contribution to the
contamination of the indoor air environment. TCPP was found to be one of the most commonly used organophosphorus
flame retardants in polyurethane foam applications. Depending on the sample type 0.012 to 140 µg m-2 h-1 was obtained
for area-specific emission rates (SERa) for TCPP. PBDEs, for example, exhibited product-specific emission rates (SERu)
between 0.1 and 14.2 ng unit-1 h-1 and SERa between 0.2 and 6.6 ng m-2 h-1. More data about the emission behaviour of FR are required with special regard to substance migration, aging and long-term emission in particular.…