Flame retardants low concern in biosolids

U.S. EPA releases TSCA Work Plan Chemical Problem Formulation and Initial Assessment: Tetrabromobisphenol A and Related Chemicals Cluster Flame Retardants” (EPA-740-R1-4004, Aug. 2015).

Of all brominated flame retardants, TBBPA has the highest US and global production volume (BSEF, 2014; EPA, 2014b). It is used as both an additive and reactive flame retardant and it is reacted to produce more than 70 compounds (EPA, 2015).

Of note:

“Preliminary calculations using conservative assumptions regarding application of biosolids to agricultural land and high-end exposure values in water near a sewage treatment plant suggests low concerns (p. 36).

Preliminary calculations using conservative assumptions regarding high-end exposure values in water near a sewage treatment plant and application of biosolids to agricultural land and suggests low concerns (p. 39).

The “Conceptual Model for the TBBPA Environmental Assessment” denotes the biosolids pathway as “not significant, uncertain, or not quantifiable.”

See, Flame Retardents-TSCA WP Initial Assessment-Aug2015