News Brief
Flame-Retardant Chemical Found in All U.S. Coastal Waters
Percentage of New Homes Built in Infill Areas
![](https://www.buildinggreen.com/sites/default/files/styles/smartphone_full/public/articles/Map.jpg?itok=I0Yh4P8R×tamp=1469201400)
A new EPA study shows infill development making up an increasing share of residential construction in U.S. metropolitan areas.
Image: U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyBeginning in the 1970s, PBDEs were widely used as flame retardants in building materials, electronics, furnishings, motor vehicles, plastics, polyurethane foams, textiles, and other consumer goods (see
EBN June 2004). Certain PBDEs have been banned in many European and Asian countries (and largely phased out voluntarily in the U.S.) due to mounting evidence that exposure to PBDEs can lead to impaired thyroid, liver, and neurobehavioral development.
PBDEs are introduced into the ecosystem through runoff from industrial sites, municipal incineration, sewage outflows, and leaching from aging or discarded consumer products. As recently as 1996, the presence of PBDEs in coastal waters was limited to heavily industrial areas, but the chemical is now found even in remote areas, providing evidence that PBDEs may also be transported atmospherically.
Published April 29, 2009 Permalink Citation
Ward, A. (2009, April 29). Flame-Retardant Chemical Found in All U.S. Coastal Waters. Retrieved from https://www.buildinggreen.com/newsbrief/flame-retardant-chemical-found-all-us-coastal-waters
Add new comment
To post a comment, you need to register for a BuildingGreen Basic membership (free) or login to your existing profile.