Backing Flame Retardant Faces Phase Out

Washington, DC, Dec. 23, 2009–A flame retardant used in carpet backing and other products will be phased out in a deal between manufacturers and federal regulators.

The retardant, deca, is one of a class of chemical compounds that have been found in California residents at the highest levels in the country, a consequence of widespread exposure linked to the state’s strict flammability standards for furniture.

Deca is a polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE), a group of flame-retardant chemicals used in the manufacture of electronic equipment, furniture cushions, upholstery textiles, carpet backings, mattresses, cars, buses, aircraft and construction materials.

A California ban on products containing two other PBDEs, penta and octa, took effect in 2008. The deca phaseout does not ban the importation of products with the compound, however.