PBDE’s fire-retardant properties are believed to have saved thousands of lives, but they are harmful to animals in laboratory tests.
There’s still no proof that they cause problems in humans.
What is clear is that levels in humans are rapidly building up, doubling every two to five years.
That gap between their potential harm and the lack of conclusive proof has created rifts between US state and federal officials and even within the ranks of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which are considering regulation at national level.
Not wanting to wait for federal action, California in August became the first state to ban two PBDE compounds that have been shown to accumulate in humans (more information here.).
The EU banned this chemical on July 2003, based on the precautionary principle.
