The Danish EPA (Environment Protection Agency) has published an update of its January 2016 screening report on phosphorus flame retardants (see detailed summary in pinfa Newsletter n°66), based on GreenScreen methodology.
The report has been updated to adapt to REACH and to GHS /CLP regulations, and to take account of comments from industry and from CPA (Clean Production Action USA, owner of GreenScreen). The update particularly concerns diethylphosphinate, aluminium salt and polyphosphonate and phosphonate oligomers. Three of the twenty-eight phosphorus flame retardants assessed achieve overall hazard scores of 3 or 4 (‘Safer’ or ‘Use but opportunity for improvement’): poly[phosphonate co-carbonate], ammonium polyphosphate, aluminium phosphinite. A further nine* phosphorus FRs are not identified as “high” risk for any health, environment or bioaccumulation endpoint except (in some cases) “persistence”, although a number of data gaps are also indicated.
* DOPO, 9,10-Dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthren-10-oxide; N,N-bis-(2-hydroxylethyl) aminomethane phosphonic acid diethyl ester; Oligomeric phosphonate polyol; Bisphenol A bis(diphenyl phosphate); Oligomeric ethyl ethylene phosphate; Melamine pyrophosphate; Melamine phosphate; Red phosphorus; Diethylphosphinate, aluminium. Plus as cited above: Poly[phosphonate co-carbonate]; Ammonium polyphosphate; Aluminium phosphinite Denmark EPA “Environmental and health screening profiles of phosphorous flame retardants”, LOUS follow-up project, Environmental Project N° 1823, revision of October 2016 http://mst.dk/service/publikationer/publikationsarkiv/2016/nov/environmental-and-health-screening-profiles-of-phosphorous-flame-retardants/ and CPA/Denmark EPA joint statement http://mst.dk/media/177929/mst_joint_statement_regarding_danish_epa_phosphorus_flame_retardant-final.pdf