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Brominated flame retardants in children's toys: concentration, composition, and children's exposure and risk

She-Jun Chen1, Yun-Juan Ma, Jing Wang

  • 1State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.

Environmental Science & Technology
|July 3, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) were detected in children's toys from South China, with higher concentrations in hard plastics. While exposures were generally low, one toy exceeded limits, highlighting potential risks from these chemicals.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Chemistry
  • Toxicology
  • Consumer Product Safety

Background:

  • Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are widely used in consumer products, raising concerns about potential human exposure, especially for vulnerable populations like children.
  • Previous studies have focused on BFRs in various environmental matrices, but data on their presence in children's toys, particularly in rapidly developing economies, remains limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify the concentrations of various BFRs, including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)ethane (BTBPE), decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE), and polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), in children's toys purchased in South China.
  • To assess potential daily exposure levels of BFRs for children of different age groups through various pathways (inhalation, mouthing, dermal contact, oral ingestion).
  • To evaluate the noncancer health risks associated with BFR exposure from children's toys.

Main Methods:

  • Chemical analysis using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to determine BFR concentrations in toy samples.
  • Exposure assessment modeling incorporating different age groups and exposure routes (inhalation, mouthing, dermal, oral).
  • Risk characterization using hazard quotients to evaluate noncancer risks.

Main Results:

  • BFRs were detected in all tested children's toys, with significantly higher median concentrations of total PBDEs, DBDPE, BTBPE, and PBBs found in hard plastic toys compared to other types.
  • One hard plastic toy exceeded the European Union's Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) limit for PBDEs.
  • Estimated daily BFR exposures for children varied by age, with infants and toddlers showing higher mouthing-related exposures; however, overall exposure from toys was generally a small fraction of total daily BFR intake, and hazard quotients were below 1.

Conclusions:

  • Children's toys in South China can be a source of BFR exposure, with hard plastics showing higher contamination levels.
  • While most toys comply with current regulations, the presence of BFRs warrants continued monitoring and risk assessment, especially considering potential manufacturing-related degradation.
  • The study provides crucial baseline data on BFRs in toys and associated child exposures, highlighting the need for ongoing research in this area.

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