The April 29 Sun Journal article entitled “So young. So toxic” incorrectly reports that the safe and effective flame retardant Decabromodiphenyl ether (Deca-BDE) can harm the reproductive system of women who are pregnant or plan to be pregnant in the near future.
Flame retardants, including Deca-BDE, save hundreds of lives every year by preventing fires in homes and businesses. These are real fires that cause real human suffering, not speculative concerns about potential impacts that may never occur.
In fact, Deca-BDE is the most studied flame retardant in the world and, after an extensive 10-year risk assessment conducted by the European Union government, was found to be safe for continued use. After all of this study, there is no scientific evidence on which to base the claims made in the Sun Journal.
Dr. Michael Spiegelstein, Washington, D.C.
Chairman, Bromine Science and Environmental Forum
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.