Liberty Times – April 6, 2013

Introduction: Among the over 100,000 chemical substances regulated by the European Union, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has identified approximately 800 that may affect human hormones. Taiwan’s Environmental Protection Administration currently regulates 302 of these. These substances are omnipresent in food, clothing, housing, and transportation but are often overlooked. Understanding these toxic chemicals is essential to preventing their harmful effects on life.

By Reporter Liu Liren / Special Report

Using a computer every day not only affects eyesight but also exposes one to the hazards of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)!

PBDEs are environmental hormones that volatilize into the air when exposed to high heat, posing health risks. However, since they are odorless, people remain unaware of the threat and thus less vigilant.

**Cheap and Effective, Commonly Used as Flame Retardants**

Professor Ling Yongjian from the Department of Chemistry at National Tsing Hua University points out that PBDEs are "cheap and effective" chemicals. Because they inhibit combustion, they are often applied or added to products as flame retardants. They are commonly found in household electronics and appliance casings, printed circuit boards, plastic products, textiles, construction materials, and automotive interiors.

**Pungent Odor? Be Extra Cautious**

Dr. Lin Jieliang, Director of the Department of Toxicology at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, explains that when computers or electronic devices are turned on, their temperature rises. At around 40 to 50 degrees Celsius, areas coated with PBDEs begin to volatilize. If a pungent plastic smell is detected while using electronics, extra caution is advised. The longer the usage time, the more PBDEs are released, with much of it settling as dust on desks or in rooms.

Research by several U.S. environmental groups has confirmed that dust on electronic bases and table surfaces contains toxic PBDE particles, which can harm human health. In Hong Kong, a child who spent all day in a confined room playing on a computer eventually developed symptoms of PBDE poisoning, including liver enlargement and hair loss.

Taiwan’s Environmental Protection Administration listed decabromodiphenyl ether as a toxic substance in 1999, and by the end of 2005, it also listed octabromodiphenyl ether and pentabromodiphenyl ether as toxic substances, strictly limiting their use. However, as technological products become more deeply embedded in daily life, if the government fails to rigorously regulate the use of toxic chemicals, it may struggle to address the evolving hazards posed by new technologies.

Dr. Lin Jieliang notes that the EU banned the use of PBDEs in electronic equipment in 2006 and prohibited decabromodiphenyl ether in appliance casings in 2008. California banned brominated flame retardants containing penta- and decabromodiphenyl ether starting in 2008.

**EU Banned PBDEs in Electronics 7 Years Ago**

PBDEs not only harm health but also pollute the environment. When these products are discarded or broken down, PBDEs disperse into the environment either as gas or attached to small particles, settling into river sediments and entering the food chain. In 2005, Taiwan’s Environmental Protection Administration tested fish for PBDEs in the Lanyang, Houlong, Dajia, Wu, Bazhang, and Fengshan Rivers, as well as the Xiangshan River, Lugang River, and Erren River estuaries. The detection rate was 100%, indicating that PBDEs have already infiltrated our food chain.

A study commissioned by the Department of Health and conducted by the Micro-Pollutant Research Center at National Cheng Kung University, titled "Background Levels and Risk Analysis of PBDEs in Food," revealed the following concentrations (in picograms per gram wet weight): livestock meat (1,692), fats (1,277), eggs (931), poultry meat (825), fish (690), aquatic products other than fish (379), and dairy products (130). Not only are PBDE concentrations in domestic food relatively high, but the daily exposure doses across all age groups in Taiwan are also 1.5 times higher than those in the U.S.Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers May Invade the Food Chain

Yuan Shaoying, Director of the Toxic Substances Management Division of the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), stated that the European Union has stricter regulations regarding polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). The EPA generally follows the spirit of the Stockholm Convention. Since the toxicity of PBDEs has not yet been fully confirmed, they are currently permitted for use in research and as flame retardants. Canada is also still discussing the issue and has not banned them. The EPA will review international control measures but urges manufacturers to avoid using PBDEs.

However, Ling Yongjian believes that to prevent toxic harm, the government must implement cross-ministerial integrated control. The EPA only regulates the total quantity of toxic substances at the source, while midstream and downstream products and processes fall under the jurisdiction of agencies such as the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Labor Affairs Council, and the Ministry of the Interior. He suggests that Taiwan should learn from Europe by establishing a comprehensive toxic chemical substances database and creating a complete tracking record from source to product to ensure effective management.

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