From Raymond B. Dawson, Bromine Science and Environment Forum
Fred Pearce’s article “Flame retardant shows up in Arctic” wrongly assumes that there is a lack of scientific data on the flame retardant deca-BDE (12 June, p 10). It does not mention that after 10 years of scientific analysis and more than 100 studies, a scientific assessment by the European Union could find no identifiable risk to child or adult health, nor to the environment, from using deca-BDE.
In 2003 Frank Wania and Chandrasagar Dugani reported that deca-BDE has “a very low potential to reach remote areas”. Although all the data from the new study has not been published yet, even the Norwegian Polar Institute recognises that the levels found are “low”. Indeed, previous research found that deca-BDE levels in the same region were typically around 0.5 parts per billion. At this level the flame retardant poses no environmental or health risks.
Brussels, Belgium
