What are Brominated Flame Retardants?
Brominated flame retardants are compounds which are added to numerous consumer products to increase their fire resistance. While products treated with brominated flame retardants are not fire proof, they are much more resistant to fire, which can prevent the spread of a fire and give people time to escape a room or building when a fire breaks out. These additives are so ubiquitous that chances are high that you have some in your house right now, especially if you live in a nation with rigorous laws mandating fire resistance for products like upholstery and electronics. This class of chemicals consists of a variety of products, all of which contain bromine. One of the most widely used types of brominated flame retardant contains polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE). When substances are treated with these chemicals, they are slow to catch fire, and fire will have difficulty taking hold. The substance will eventually burn if a fire is hot and sustained, of course, but the slow burning can
Fire regulations in the UK require the use of flame retardants in furniture. It is estimated that this has saved over 1200 lives since they were introduced in 1988. Flame retardants work in several ways: • Decrease the likelihood of ignition. • Reduce the spread of fire to give more chance of escape. • Increases the time before “flash over” happens.
