The Next Chemical X? – Part 1

THE NEXT CHEMICAL X?
Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers in a Flame Retardant World

Chemical X travels a predictable path.

Scientists find that, in the laboratory, this newly discovered chemical has effect A—an effect which will undoubtedly make some product shinier, or stretchier, or less combustible, or more resistant to cracking and, thus, will be considered of value to the progress and protection of human kind.

Another amazing Chemical X.

Chemical X is quickly and ubiquitously applied to consumer and industrial products to improve their quality. Soon, the world is filled with products, filled with chemical X.

Years later, epidemiologists and researchers discover that chemical X also has effects B, C, and D; first in mice; then in monkeys; then in humans. These effects, unfortunately, do not contribute to the progress of human kind; in fact, they are found to cause cancer, neurodevelopmental abnormalities, and liver malfunction.

Chemical X is finally banned from being manufactured or applied in developed countries.  Chemical X persists in the environment and its reputation as a savior slowly dwindles, as more and more information about its toxic properties is revealed, and more and more people show health effects. Just another Chemical X.

Unfortunately, this situation, though hypothetical, is just as easily recognized as being generic; many chemicals have become infamous for traveling this very path.

In the 1970s, chemical X was dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane—DDT. It was developed as a pesticide and used effectively for many years to reduce malaria levels (by reducing mosquito population) before being banned from use in the United States in 1972. It was found to have persistent toxic properties: it is a probable human carcinogen, it damages the liver, temporarily damages the nervous system, and reduces reproductive success, according to the EPA. Notice the tense; for, although it hasn’t been used or produced in the US for more than 30 years, it can still be found in our environment and in people, even today. Other developing countries continue to use DDT in agricultural practices and in disease-control programs because of its effectiveness.

After DDT, chemical X became known as polychlorinated biphenyl—or PCB. It too is a persistent organic pollutant. More than 1.5 billion pounds of PCBs were manufactured in the United States before production ceased in 1977.  So toxic were they, that Congress implemented a “cradle to grave” management system specifically for PCBs.  Their toxic effects?  Cancer, of course.  They also include effects on the immune system (general suppression of the immune system among other things), reproductive system (reduced birth weight, reduced conception rate), nervous system (deficits in learning, short-term memory, and visual recognition), and endocrine system (alteration of thyroid hormone levels), among other health maladies.  They can still be found in soil and tissue samples around the world.

So, what will be the next chemical X?  What has come along to replace the DDTs and PCBs of the world?  Not surprisingly, the title of chemical X will stay in the family— polybrominated diphenyl ethers, PBDEs, are the toxicological and chemical cousins of the long-banned PCBs. They’ve already tread much of the way down the pathway to chemical immortality.

Part 2 coming soon.