New chemicals piling up in environment - Replacements for old flame retardants

WINDSOR, Ont. -- New flame retardants meant to replace their toxic predecessors are showing up in the air around the Great Lakes in increasing concentrations and travelling as far north as the Arctic.

These new findings raise a red flag that these chemicals need to be more closely examined to see if they accumulate in the environment and animals, according to Hayley Hung, a research scientist at Environment Canada, who found concentrations of tetrabromobenzoate (TBB) and tetrabromophthalate (TBPH) in both Canada's High Arctic and the Tibetan Plateau.

"It's not just a localized problem," Hung said. "(They) could become a global pollutant."

Hung said TBB and TBPH are among the components in Firemaster flame retardants, which are used in everyday objects such as car upholstery, computer equipment, carpeting and polyurethane foam. They get off-gassed into the air when they're applied (usually sprayed) onto products. Read More