EFSA is presently also preparing an opinion on emerging and novel BFRs, for publication in 2012. In 2011, a book on BFRs was published which covered a multitude of issues relating to BFRs ( Eljarrat and Barceleó, 2011). Other major reviews of BFRs from 2005 onwards include Covaci et al., 2006,

Covaci et al., 2009 and Covaci et al., 2011, Law et al., 2006 and Law et al., 2008. A review on PFRs was recently published ( van der Veen and de Boer, 2012) while, among the CFRs, only the Dechloranes have been comprehensively reviewed to date ( Sverko et al., 2011). The BFRs most commonly used today are tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), decabromodiphenyl ether (DecaBDE) and HBCDD (also sometimes referred to as HBCD). Due to EU legislative measures and the inclusion of PentaBDE and OctaBDE among the Stockholm Convention find more selleck screening library POPs, there are now changes in the production and use of PBDEs, HBCDDs and many other BFRs,

including some which are being used as replacements for now restricted formulations. DecaBDE is subjected to use restrictions according to the RoHS directive (Directive 2002/95/EC (OJ, 2003)) after the European Court of Justice decision from 2008 (OJ, 2008). However, these changes cannot be documented adequately as the producers do not make production figures available, regardless of where the chemicals are manufactured. Similarly, there is little information available on the current applications in which these compounds are being used. The situation is similar also for production and use of CFRs and PFRs. It is safe to say that the use of BFRs has increased dramatically since the 1970s and their cumulative current production volume exceeds 200,000 t per year, based on available information (personal communication, V. Steukers, Albemarle, 2008; references in Eljarrat and Barceleó, 2011). Volumes of CFRs seem to be higher since, in 2007, the production of polychlorinated alkanes (PCAs) (also known as

chlorinated paraffins (CPs)) amounted to up to 600,000 t per year, in China alone (Fiedler, 2010). These compounds are not solely used as flame retardants, however, and have a number of selleck products other applications (Nicholls et al., 2001). The worldwide production volume of PFRs in 2004 was slightly above 200,000 t per year (EFRA, 2007). Due to the increased regulatory interest in and restrictions on PBDEs and HBCDD, alternative FRs are now being used in their place. It is, as shown below, difficult even to list those BFRs currently being offered for sale in the market. In the present document, we are therefore presenting all BFRs, CFRs and PFRs that have been proposed to date for use as FRs. Several FRs have only recently been detected in the environment, even though they may have been in use for some time, e.g. Dechlorane Plus (Sverko et al., 2011). The analysis, environmental fate and behavior of novel BFRs have been reviewed (Covaci et al., 2011 and Papachlimitzou et al.