Flame retardants in the indoor environment, Part 1: Specification of the problem and results of screening tests

Many building products, furnishings and fittings used in the indoor environment are, for safety reasons, equipped with flame retardants. According to investigations carried out on house dust, it was demonstrated that the flame retardant additives, such as organophosphates and chlorinated paraffines, could be released and spread widely in the indoor environment. By examinations of emission form television sets, complex polymer construction components and various foam materials, in a 1 m³ chamber study, it was possible to demonstrate that, under normal usage conditions, various flame retardants, such as organophosphates and their decomposition products as well as chlorinated paraffines and polybrominated compounds, could be found in the emission test chamber atmosphere. After Soxhlet extraction and Headspace examinations, various organophosphates were identified as components contained in different material samples.