Degradation of the Polymeric Brominated Flame Retardant “Polymeric FR” by Heat and UV Exposure

Abstract

Monomeric brominated flame retardants often pose risks to the environment. The new group of polymeric flame retardants is claimed to be a safer alternative due to their high molecular weight and persistence by design. Within this publication, the degradation of a commercially widely applied example of this groupthe polymer "Polymeric FR"was studied during UV irradiation and long-term exposure to heat (60 °C) for up to 36 weeks. Both treatments led to a variety of degradation products, which might have potentially adverse environmental effects and an increased mobility compared to the mother polymer. Besides identifying some of the possible degradation products (including for instance 2,4,6tribromo-3-hydroxybenzoic acid), the degradation via UV irradiation, which yields 75 different degradation products, and via heat, which led to significantly less products, was compared. In addition, further parameters like TOC and the concentration of free bromine were studied and it was demonstrated that the used type of water (distilled, reconstituted, and rainwater) does not influence the outcome of the degradation experiments.

Flame retardant polymer materials: An update and the future for 3D printing developments

“…These products may therefore come into contact with users or be released into the environment. Polymeric-halogenated compounds could be considered as a better alternative [46]. They are too large to easily migrate from the polymer and penetrate cell membranes but may cause problems during burning or incineration.…”

High Production, Low Information: We Need To Know More About Polymeric Flame Retardants

“…However, the use of polymerics is increasing, not only in building insulation, but also in clothing and consumer products, with minimal, if any, knowledge of human and ecosystem risks. Considering the finding of the breakdown of PolyFR into monomers due to UV radiation and heating and the potential for contamination during manufacturing, installation and disposal, more study of the entire life-cycle of PolyFR from production to end of life, as detailed in Figure , is essential.…”

“…Some of the concern about potential risks from PolyFR come from Koch et al 2 showing that PolyFR can degrade to release breakdown products under certain conditions. However, the current regulatory scheme for polymers requires minimal toxicity (human health or ecotoxicity) or exposure assessment of the polymer or its degradation products, leading to large data gaps.…”

The Potential for Bio-Sustainable Organobromine-Containing Flame Retardant Formulations for Textile Applications—A Review

“…While BrFRs like DecaBDE have received considerable attention, UV degradation of decabromodiphenyl ethane or 1,2-bis(pentabromophenyl) ethane has received much less and Najia et al [ 16 ] have shown it can photolytically undergo an efficient stepwise reductive debromination that follows first-order kinetics. With regard to the polymeric brominated flame retardants, even less is known and brominated polystyrene, for instance, although not used in textile back-coatings, UV irradiation yields 75 different degradation products, while thermal degradation led to a significantly lower number [ 82 ]. These same authors claim that possible toxicological concerns regarding this polymeric BrFR had not yet (2019) been the subject of peer-reviewed publications [ 83 ].…”