A review on the effects of flame retardant additives towards the environment and human health

Abstract

Flame retardant additives (FRAs) are normally the addition of chemicals that function to prevent or slow the spread of fires. These chemicals are used in consumer products and industries and could retain in the environment even after several decades. The toxicity mechanism and risk assessment methods of FRAs are also discussed in this paper. Papers from Scopus, Elsevier, Environmental health perspectives (EHP), Research gate, Semantic scholar, Hindawi, and Pubmed from 2003 to recent years were reviewed to provide some views on the possible risks of FRAs and their pathways into our environment as well as into human body. While FRAs could enter the environment during the manufacturing process and the usage period, consumer items are treated with FRAs, through waste streams, during illegal open burning of solid wastes, from incineration plants from landfill leachate and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) sludge. FRAs are hazardous to humans and the environment, therefore, toxicology assessment should also be consistently conducted on the latest FRAs to ensure that they would not have adverse effects on humans and the environment.