Scientific studies

Deca-BDE is the flame retardant with the most scientific data proving its compatibility in terms of human health, low and manageable risks for the environment and its tremendous contribution to society in terms of fire safety.

It has been subject to over 1,000 scientific studies around the globe, mainly in the European Union, Japan and the United States to assess all its possible impacts on the environment and human health.

In May 2004, the European Union Competent Authorities officially closed the scientific assessment of Deca-BDE without restrictions on its marketing and use due to the lack of significant risks identified for the use of this substance (see more details below).

These results have been also confirmed by an initial risk assessment conducted by the Japanese government in 2005 which concluded that no adverse health effects were identified for Deca-BDE. In the United States, Deca-BDE has also been also subject to extensive research, in particular by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and in the framework of the Voluntary Children’s Chemical Evaluation Program (VCCEP), which reached similar conclusions.

The EU Risk Assessment of Deca-BDE

On 26 May 2004, the European Union Competent Authorities closed, after 10 years of research, the scientific assessment of commercial Deca-BDE. The EU risk assessment was conducted under the Existing Substances Regulation 793/93. It concluded that there is no significant environmental, health or consumer safety risk. Also, no additional risk reduction measures were deemed necessary beyond those in place.

Deca-BDE is the flame retardant with the most scientific data available. The EU risk assessment of Deca-BDE has been regularly updated since 2004 by the UK Rapporteur to take into account new science.

On 28 May 2008, the conclusions of the EU risk assessment for Deca-BDE were published in the Official Journal of the European Union .This risk assessment is now being integrated into the EU’s REACH legislation on chemicals.

A latest review by the EU REACH competent authorities (CARACAL) in February 2010 discussed ongoing scientific studies and progress on the EU’s 10-year monitoring programmes.  Based on findings at trace levels of a marker congener for the first time in a few samples, EU Member States had a discussion on the potential for exploring further risk management option to be applied to DecaBDE. The UK is consulting its scientific committee (the Advisory Committee on Hazardous Substances - ACHS), to consider whether DecaBDE meets the criteria for classification as a Substance of Equivalent Concern (SEC) to SVHCs under the EU’s REACH Regulation. The ACHS is expected to provide its opinion in June.

For more details about the EU Risk Assessment, please go to the Science Centre.