Halocarbons: The 'Miracle' Compounds. Hardly.
In the mid-20th century, chemical engineers appeared to have hit upon the chemical industry's equivalent of gold. Unfortunately it turned out to be fool's gold.
ubiquitous PBDEs still pose problems PBDEs have been used in lots of everyday products, including furniture, TVs, and computers. Studies show that most Americans have PBDEs in our bodies. Not good. PPDEs have been linked to impaired liver, neurological, reproductive and thyroid functions. The fool's gold was halocarbons. Chemical engineers discovered that they could take a hydrocarbon (a molecule composed of hydrogen and carbon atoms) and by replacing some of the hydrogen atoms with halogens like chlorine, fluorine, or bromine, transform it into a compound with amazing new properties -- compounds that worked, for example, as insecticides (DDT), refrigerants (Freons), and insulators (PCBs).
That discovery inevitably led to their introduction into the marketplace, and new technologies being such a kick, consumers embraced these new chemicals, often unwittingly, buying up the products that contained them without much thought.
The problem is that many of these halocarbons are extremely stable. While that stability is one of the things that makes them so handy in the first place, it is also responsible for their ability to accumulate in the environment and our bodies, and that can cause problems -- serious problems.
The discovery of these problems led to U.S. bans on the manufacture and use of many halocarbons. These include DDT, short for dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane; Freons, which deplete the stratospheric ozone layer; and PCBs. Of course, the bans were a little like closing the barn door after the horse escaped, as many of these chemicals will persist in the environment for decades to come.
Our Flame Retardants - Ourselves
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Our Flame Retardants - Ourselves
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers or PBDEs: you've got 'em whether you want 'em or not
By Bill Chameides
Huffington Post, February 3, 2010
Straight to the Source
