Title: Applications of in vitro screening tools to support tisk assessment of brominated flame retardants

Auteur(s): Hamers T ; Kampstra JH ; Sonneveld E ; Brouwer A ; Murk AJ ; Andersson PL ; Boon JP ; Van der Ven LTM ; Hopman GHJ ; Swart CP ; Leonards PEG ; Legler J ;  ; 

Year: 2006

Journal: Organohalogen Compounds

Subject(s): brominated flame retardant ;  ; 

Summary: About 25% of the annual flame retardant production consists of halogenated organics of which brominated flame-retardants (BFRs) are the most important group. This is due to the fact that bromine is the most efficient halogen in capturing free radicals, whereas brominated organoha1ogens decompose (i.e. deliver free radicals) at temperatures that are common1y found during combustion '. Although BFRs are life saving due to their flame-retarding characteristics, some may also pose a health risk to man and the environment, given their suspected endocrine disrupting (ED) potencies. The EU-funded FIRE program aims at the identification and toxicological characterization of the most potent and environmentally relevant BFRs and their possible risk for human and wildlife health. This paper presents an overview of the nine different applications for which a battery of in vitro bioassays was used within the hazard identification of BFRs of the FIRE program