Environmental Chemistry
As stated in a 2006 review, "Deca-BDE has long been characterized as an environmentally stable and inert product that was not capable of degradation in the environment, not toxic, and therefore of no concern." However, "some scientists had not particularly believed that Deca-BDE was so benign, particularly as evidence to this effect came largely from the industry itself." One problem in studying the chemical was that "the detection of Deca-BDE in environmental samples is difficult and problematic"; only in the late 1990s did "analytical advances... allow detection at much lower concentrations."
DecaBDE is released by different processes into the environment, such as emissions from manufacture of decaBDE-containing products and from the products themselves. Elevated concentrations can be found in air, water, soil, food, sediment, sludge, and dust. A 2006 study concluded "in general, environmental concentrations of BDE-209 appear to be increasing."
Read more about this topic: Decabromodiphenyl Ether
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