Canada proposed actions on THTP, TBOEP
Public comment open on human health assessment and risk reduction proposals for TPHP and TBOEP, to 21st January 2026, TPHP and TBOEP are part of the group of 13 PIN organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) under ongoing assessment by the Canada government since publication of a screening assessment and regulatory action proposals for TEP and IPP in foams (see pinfa Newsletter n°132). The 2021 assessment concluded possible human health risks for 8 of the OPFRs and possible environmental risk from all of the aryl OPFRs.
The Canada government indicates that additional information on health impacts of TPHP and TBOEP has become available since the 2021 report and is proposing that:
- IPPP and TEP may be harmful to health at current levels of exposure,
- BPDP and IDDP are neither persistent nor bioaccumulative, TPHP and TEP are considered persistent but not bioaccumulative, BDMEPPP and IPPP are bioaccumulative but not persistent,
- TPHP, BPDP, BDMEPPP, IDDP and IPPP may enter the environment at potentially harmful concentrations.
Regulatory actions are proposed for TPHP and TBOEP because of risk of developmental effects of TPHP and of liver effects (in males) of TBOEP, with the aim of reducing skin exposure to foams containing either of these FRs, or for TPHP exposure from use in lubricants and greases or in nail care products.
Environment & Climate Change Canada, public comment open to 21st January 2026:
November 2021: “Draft Screening Assessment Flame Retardants Group”, https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/eccc/documents/pdf/pded/tphp-bpdp-bdmeppp-iddp-ippp-tep/Draft-screening-assessment-flame-retardants-group.pdf
November 2021: “Risk Management Scope for Phosphoric acid, triphenyl ester [TPHP], Phosphoric acid, (1,1-dimethylethyl)phenyl diphenyl ester [BPDP], Phosphoric acid, bis[(1,1-dimethylethyl)phenyl] phenyl ester [BDMEPPP], Phosphoric acid, isodecyl diphenyl ester [IDDP], Phenol, isopropylated, phosphate (3:1) [IPPP], and Phosphoric acid, triethyl ester [TEP] “https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/evaluating-existing-substances/risk-management-scope-tphp-bpdp-bdmeppp-iddp-ippp-tep.html
November 2025 “Human health risk characterization document for the assessment of triphenyl phosphate (TPHP) and tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBOEP)”, https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/evaluating-existing-substances/human-health-risk-characterization-document-assessment-tphp-tboep.html and November 2025: “Risk management scope for triphenyl phosphate (TPHP) and tris(2-butoxethyl) phosphate (TBOEP)” https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/evaluating-existing-substances/risk-management-scope-triphenyl-phosphate-tris-2-butoxethyl-phosphate.html
