Written question asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Rooker (Labour) on Monday, 29 September 2008.

Flame Retardants

Question: What assessment they have made of the environmental safety of decabromodiphenyl ether in (a) medical devices and (b) textiles.

Answer: HM Government prepared a detailed environmental risk assessment and two addenda on behalf of the European Commission under the existing substances regulation (EC No. 793/93). The most recent of these is dated October 2007. These reports assess the potential risks arising from all known uses of the substance, including its use in polymers (some of which are used in electrical equipment) and textiles. Medical devices have not been explicitly assessed but would be expected to be covered generically by the assessment of polymer use. The assessments were performed in accordance with a European technical guidance document. Based on this methodology, no risks have been formally identified for use in either polymers or textiles. However, some concerns remain due to its widespread presence in the environment and the possibility that it might degrade under some circumstances to more toxic substances. Consequently, the importers are required to perform further testing under Commission regulation (EC No. 565/2006) of 6 April 2006. Industry has also initiated a voluntary programme to reduce point-source emissions from the plastic and textile industries. The assessment of human health risks was the responsibility of the French Government. The Health and Safety Executive commented on that report on behalf of HM Government.

Secondary information