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Reference.org
Decabromodiphenyl ether
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<p>Decabromodiphenyl ether (also referred to as decaBDE, DBDE, BDE-209) is a <a href="/facts/Brominated_flame_retardant/829eRlVp">brominated flame retardant</a> which belongs to the group of <a href="/facts/Polybrominated_diphenyl_ether/HtPAyaUo">polybrominated diphenyl ethers</a> (PBDEs). It was commercialised in the 1970s and was initially thought to be safe, but is now recognised as a hazardous and persistent pollutant. It was added to Annex A of the <a href="/facts/Stockholm_Convention_on_Persistent_Organic_Pollutants/HQQU41QJ">Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants</a> in 2017, which means that treaty members must take measures to eliminate its production and use. The plastics industry started switching to <a href="/facts/Decabromodiphenyl_ethane/WnAAzobM">decabromodiphenyl ethane</a> as an alternative in the 1990s, but this is now also coming under regulatory pressure due to concerns over human health. </p>