Tracking Alternative Flame

Since polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants were withdrawn from use in polyurethane foam padding, alternatives including tris(1,3-dichloropropyl) phosphate (TDCIPP) and triphenyl phosphate (TPHP) are now used in consumer goods including furniture, automobiles, carpet padding, and baby products.1,2,3,4 Like PBDEs, these replacement compounds have been widely found in dust samples from homes, offices, and vehicle interiors.2,3,4 A new study in this issue of EHP examines whether they also resemble PBDEs in another way: the routes by which people are exposed.5 TDCIPP and TPHP are members of the family of organo-phosphate flame retardants (PFRs). TDCIPP is listed as a human carcinogen under California’s Proposition 65,6 and a small human study found evidence that exposure to both TDCIPP and TPHP was associated with altered levels of some hormones and lower sperm concentration.2 In vitro and animal data have linked TDCIPP to neurotoxicity and both TDCIPP and TPHP to endocrine disruption.7,8,9,10,11 The new study focused on home exposures. The study included 53 men and women who provided hand-wipe and urine samples. Most (92%) of these volunteers also provided a dust sample from their home. The two PFRs were found in all the dust samples at widely varying levels. There was a 200-fold increase from the lowest to highest dust concentration of TDCIPP and a 400-fold increase from the lowest to highest TPHP concentration.5 Metabolites of the PFRs were detected in most of the urine samples. The primary metabolite of TPHP (DPHP) was found in 91 % of samples, and the primary metabolite of TDCIPP (BDCIPP) was found in 83 % of samples.5 Women had urinary levels of DPHP nearly twice those of men.5 “This is a very unusual finding. We haven’t seen that before [for flame retardants], which suggests to us that there is likely expo-sure through a personal care product, ” says corresponding autho