Hazardous properties of brominated, phosphorus, chlorinated, nitrogen and mineral flame retardants in plastics which may hinder their recycling

Pierre Hennebert (1)

1 INERIS - Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques

Flame retardants are numerous and some of them are (re)classified with time as hazardous for the man and the environment. A list of 69 flame retardants used in EU was set from three sources and their chemical properties were searched in their registration dossier at ECHA. Substance self-classifications (hazard statement assignment by the registrant) frequently indicate no hazard or data not available, while for the same substances a re-evaluation by ECHA is underway as persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic or endocrine disruptor. When the substance has hazard statement(s), the concentration that triggers the classification of a plastic as hazardous when it is a waste can be compared to the functional concentration, when available. Registration dossiers should be completed for the many “non-available” information. Of these 69 substances, 12 (= 17%) are used at concentrations greater than those making plastic waste hazardous and 13 (= 19%) are under re-evaluation by ECHA. These 12 or 13 substances should not become “legacy” substances which hinder the recycling of plastics. The sorting (mainly by density) and management options of these flame-retarded plastics are discussed. The technical concentration limit of 2000 mg total Br/kg for sorting should not be modified as it includes all organobromine substances currently reassessed by ECHA. A two-step sorting process is necessary to avoid the loss of non-hazardous dense plastics.

Domaines: Sciences de l'environnement

Pierre Hennebert. Hazardous properties of brominated, phosphorus, chlorinated, nitrogen and mineral flame retardants in plastics which may hinder their recycling. Detritus, 2021, 17, pp.49-57. ⟨10.31025/2611-4135/2021.15142⟩. ⟨ineris-04034975⟩