• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.83-96
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• 2005

Brominated flame retardants have the market share of 40%, comparing others because of their low cost and highly effective retardation against the flame. However, their toxic effects in human and properties of the accumulation in the environments have been issued among the international organization such as EU, OECD and etc. It, therefore, was surveyed the classification, toxic effects, and the usage of Brominated flame retardants, the trends for their managements in the world and Korea, and their contaminated levels in Korean Peninsula. In addition, the management directions for them were proposed. Penta, octa, and deca-BDE among brominated retardants will seem to be prohibited by the regulation as a flame retardants for plastics in Europe because of their toxic effects. Although Penta and Octa BDEs was used marginally in Korea, deca-BDE was 27% of brominated flame retardants (49,050 ton) which had been used in 2002. However, risk assessment for brominated retardants might not launched in Korea, yet. These reports demonstrate that toxic brominated retardants such as PBDEs will be assessed for their usage and the level of contamination in the environment in the area of the point sources like the industrial areas, incinerators and etc. However, the law to regulate the hazardous chemicals seems not to be dictated the monitoring of their contamination in the environment. We, therefore, suggest how to evaluate and to monitor the toxic contaminants with EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) and LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) system. Further, to establish the management system of BFRs (such as the monitering of contamination levels in environments, life cycle assessment, and risk assessment for the toxic chemicals), It can be recommended the law to deal with the method analyzing chemicals will be established, which contains QA/QC (Quality Assurance and Quality Control) to evaluate the analytic capability of the companies to prepare EIS (Environment Impact Statement) or other institutes for analyzing chemicals.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.63-68
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• 1990

The effects of various brominated flame retardants were investigated in PC/ABS blend system. The compatibilities between polymers and flame retardants were expected with the solubility parameter using group contribution theory. Tetrabromobisphenol A carbonate oligomer, among the flame retardants in this experiment, has been shown good miscibility for PC and ABS, respectively. But polydibromophenylene oxide and octabromodiphenyl oxide has immiscibility. The flame retardant PC/ABS blends containning tetrabromobisphenol A carbonate oligomer have been exhibited higher mechanical properties, tensile strengths and notch Izod impact strengths, at varlous content of flame retardants, than containning other flame retardants. It could be seen that the trends of mechanical properties for the flame retardant PC/ABS blends have a good concidence with the expectation of compatibility.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.443-458
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• 2008

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are chemical compounds that inhibit the combustion of organic materials by scavenging free radicals that would otherwise encourage the spread of flames. These compounds are found in a wide variety of materials including paints, plastics, textiles, furniture and electronics. Mounting evidence, however, suggests that the non-reactive BFRs can easily leach into the environment and pose significant environmental and health concerns. PBDDs/PBDFs are often formed in the process of manufacturing brominated flame retardants and from the combustion of waste products containing flame retardants BFR. Therefore, this paper describes the general characteristics, management status, residual concentration in environments and analytical method.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.354-363
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• 2018

We examined the levels of brominated flame-retardants (BFRs) including polybrominateddiphenyl ethers (PBDEs), tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA), hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), and phthalates in indoor dusts in residential houses in Korea, and their distribution patterns depending on building characteristics. Mean concentrations of phthalate esters ($1,825{\mu}g\;g^{-1}$) were significantly higher than that of BFRs (PBDE: $1,332ng\;g^{-1}$, HBCDs: $459ng\;g^{-1}$, and TBBPA: $213ng\;g^{-1}$), indicating more frequent use of phthalate-containing products such as PVC flooring in the Korean houses. PVC flooring house was associated with higher concentrations of DEHP (p = 0.001) and BBP (p = 0.012), indicating that exposure to phthalate was higher in the PVC flooring house. Building age was significantly related with levels of PBDEs especially BDE-47 (p = 0.062), BDE-203 (p = 0.007), DEHP (p = 0.004), and BBP (p = 0.070), respectively, indicating that older buildings can produce higher amounts of PBDEs and phthalates. Our study can provide important information on the sources of BFRs and phthalates in residential houses in Korea.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.435-442
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• 2011

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a class of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) which have taken much interest recently due to their potential hazardous effects to human body and ecosystem. Many countries and European community prohibits the usage of certain BFRs in electronics and electronic devices (e.g. RoHS). In this perspectives, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) has designed and practiced proficiency testing programs based on the ISO/IEC 17043 in order to assist laboratory accreditation activities. The programs for interlaboratory comparisons include congeners of PBDE (PBDE-154, 183, 206, 209) in high impact polystyrene (HIPS). A sample bottle that contains 10 g granular HIPS was distributed to 35 participating laboratories and the test results were calculated by the statistical procedure using z-scores to evaluate performance of each laboratory. The results and the laboratory's performance were discussed.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.13-18
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• 2008

For the evaluation of brominated flame retardants included in polymeric electronic devices, we investigated the extraction methods and solvent systems for four different types of polymers of PC (polycarbonate), PP (polyropylene), PET (poly(ethylene terephthalate)) and PBT (poly(butylene terephthalate)) using different solvent systems of hexane/acetone, THF, toluene, and THF/toluene. In order to compare the extraction efficiency of different methods and solvent systems, the deca-BDE (decabromo diphenyl ether) flame retardant was included in PC, PP, PET and PBT systems and subsequently extracted by soxhlet, ultrasonic, accelerated solvent, microwave and supercritical fluid extraction methods. The amount of the extracted flame retardant was monitored to evaluate the extraction efficiency. The ultrasonic extraction method was found not to be acceptable as an extraction method for the polymer systems mainly due to a low salvation efficiency of the organic solvents. Soxhlet, accelerated solvent and microwave extraction methods exhibited over 80% of extraction efficiency for toluene. The supercritical fluid extraction method, which has been used as an extraction method for flame retardants in polymers, showed the extraction efficiencies of ca. 100% for PC and PP in the optimal extraction conditions of $60^{\circ}C$ and 120 bar.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.22 no.2 s.57
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• pp.157-163
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• 2007

Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) is the most widely used BFR (brominated flame retardants) as a reactive flame retardant in printed circuit boards, and as additive applications in several types of polymers. The purpose of this study is to assess the adverse effects of TBBPA on the benthic amphipod (Hyalella azteca). Results on the acute toxicity of TBBPA using Hyalella azteca showed that NOEC and LOEC are 100mg/kg and 200mg/kg, respectively. In addition, when chronic toxicity of TBBPA was investigated at the concentration ranges between 0.01 to 100mg/kg, it was found that NOECs are $10mg/kg(fecundity){\sim}100mg/kg(viability)$, respectively. Significant fecundity inhibition was appeared at 100mg/kg of TBBPA, however, this concentration did not show severe adverse effect on weight increment. The values of PNEC were determined as 0.1mg/kg (fecundity) and 1mg/kg (lethal effect), respectively, using a safety factor suggested by EU and OECD.

• Journal of Korea Society of Waste Management
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.692-700
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• 2018

In this study, the results of PBDEs and HBCDs of the products and waste that contain BFRs such as domestic electronic products, automobiles and textile products were compared with international management standards, and their excess rates were calculated. Deca-BDE was detected among the PBDEs in TV rear cover plastics, car seats, automotive interior plastics, and automobile shredding residues of products and waste containing BFRs. The comparison with Basel Convention management standards (1,000 mg/kg) for PBDE-containing wastes (4 types in total) shows that the excess rate of all samples was less than 1.5%. The estimated excess rate compared to the EU and Basel convention management standards (1,000 mg/kg) for PBDEs (4 species + deca-BDE) and TV rear cover plastics was 37.5% (30 of 80 samples exceeded the standards). The estimated excess rate compared to the Basel convention management standards (1,000 mg/kg) for HBCD, building materials products and waste was 15.7% (17 of 108 samples exceeded the standards). In the case of PBDEs, it is necessary to remove only the rear cover of CRT TV among the electric and electronic products and treat it in the flame retardant treatment facility to improve the recycling collection system. In the case of HBCD, it is necessary to appropriately dispose of the recycled materials, heat insulation materials, TV plastics, and styrofoam in marine fishery among construction materials and restrict the use as recycled raw materials.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.346-359
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• 2002

The brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are one of the unregulated pollutants in Korea, which is recently highlighted the new pollutants of environmental contamination. In this study, the previous research papers related the BFRs were surveyed, and the analytical methods of BFRs were established. The results are followed; The 40 kinds of PBDEs standards were used to establish the analytical methods to perform the experiments of recoveries and detection limits in water and soil. The detection limits of PBDEs using GC/MS represented 5.0~10.0 pg/L for water and 0.5~2.0 ng/g for soil samples. The average recoveries of water samples were 89~98% with ethylacetate, n-hexane and dichloromethane, and 89~103% in combined solvent with n-hexane and acetone. In soxhlet extraction, the higher recoveries obtained the acetone:n-hexane(1:1) comparing with acetone:dichloromethane(1:1).

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.446-452
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• 2015

In order to evaluate and improve the ability of Korean testing laboratories to measure Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), a proficiency test was organised by Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) based on ISO/IEC 17043. The proficiency test material used was 10 g of a granular ABS fortified with a mixture of congeners of PBDE (BDE-154, 183, 206, 209). Homogeneity and stability were investigated to assess the adequacy of the test material. The certified value established by KRISS based on the national reference was used for assigned value of each PBDE. The test materials were distributed to the 16 participating laboratories. The participating laboratories were requested to analyse the samples employing the methods used in their routine analysis. Each laboratory was given it’s own code to secure the anonymity. Participants results were evaluated with z-scores according to ISO/IEC 17043. The standard deviation for proficiency assessment was set by standard deviation of the participants results except for outlier. The results, the laboratory's performance and improvement of accuracy were discussed.