Evaluating the Toxicity of Organophosphate Flame Retardants in Zebrafish

Flame retardants are in many home products including couches, chairs, and electronics. The most commonly used flame retardants contained polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) until 2004, when the majority of these chemicals were phased out. PBDEs were found to be persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic to both humans and the environment. Organophosphate flame retardants have become an option for alternative flame retardants, but have not been tested extensively. There is concern that many of these organophosphate flame retardants may be carcinogenic, neurotoxic, or reproductive toxicants.\ud Using zebrafish as a model, three organophosphate flame retardants (TDCPP, TCPP, and TCEP) were tested for their developmental and neurotoxic effects. The results of this study indicated that there are both physical and behavioral effects of all three of these chemicals. With further testing, it may be found that these negative effects are linked to various neurological disorders in humans such as ADD and ADHD. Other neurological disorders, such as autism or depression, may also be affected, but additional studies would need to be performed in order to determine this