Final Report Summary - INFLAME (Indoor Contamination with Flame Retardant Chemicals: Causes and Impacts)
Project Overview and Research & Training Objectives
The main research goal of INFLAME was to further understanding of how and to what extent flame retardant (FR) chemicals used in every-day consumer goods (such as electronics and furniture) and construction materials (e.g. building insulation foam) enter humans and of the risk to health that such exposure presents. INFLAME’s vision was that this enhanced understanding will inform assessment of risk associated both with recent and current-use flame retardant chemicals, and of those under development, and ultimately lead to more sustainable approaches to meeting fire safety regulations.
INFLAME's principal research objectives were to discover:
(1) the mechanisms via which FRs transfer from products within which they are incorporated;
(2) how and to what extent such transfer leads to human exposure; and
(3) the effects of such exposure.
The aim of INFLAME’s Training Programme was to increase the knowledge base and experience of a cohort of trainees (12 Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) and 2 Experienced Researchers ERs)) in the different research areas and to develop their transferable skills for future careers in the private sector, public sector, or the regulatory community. Our training vision was thus to develop a cohort of young scientists with the necessary depth and breadth of experience combined with the research and transferable skills required to communicate and work effectively across disciplinary and sectoral boundaries.
Summary of Work Conducted:
All trainees have undergone extensive training in both project-specific and complementary skills, both at their host organisations and at other partners during secondments. All ESRs have been registered for a PhD. To date 3 ESRs have been awarded their PhD, with the rest expected to complete successfully their PhD studies over the next 12 months. Project-specific research skills acquired by trainees include training in operation of environmental sampling and laboratory equipment, such as air samplers, in vitro biological assay techniques, and a variety of chromatographic-spectroscopic instruments. Trainees have gained experience of presenting their research results by active participation in a variety of national and international conferences, workshops, and symposia. A particular highlight has been a Special Scientific Session dedicated to the results of INFLAME that was held at the 33rd International Symposium on Halogenated Persistent Organic Pollutants in Korea in August 2013, at which all INFLAME trainees made at least 1 presentation.
In terms of network-level training, INFLAME has provided its trainees with 5 Advanced Training Courses (ATCs), as well as a workshop designed to develop their capacities for interdisciplinary working. These ATCs are as listed below:
1. Techniques for Monitoring Exposure to FRs
2. Techniques for Monitoring FRs in the Environment
3. Techniques for Evaluating Effects of Human Exposure to FRs
4. Mathematical Modelling Approaches to Understanding the Environmental Fate and Behaviour of FRs
5. The Role of Science outside Academia: Communication with other Stakeholders
Main Results Achieved:
The main scientific achievements of the INFLAME project are listed below:
• New information on the extent of contamination of electronic waste and childrens’ toys with a range of organic flame retardants (FRs).
• Significant advances in analytical methods that permit measurement of FRs in contaminated materials.
• Significant augmentation of the database on measurement of the rate at which FRs are emitted from goods like furniture and electronics into indoor air and dust. A highlight is the novel discovery that for some FRs, direct contact between treated materials and dust (e.g. when dust settles on top of a TV), is the most effective transfer pathway.
• Data on the extent to which concentrations of various FRs in indoor environments correlate with concentrations present in individuals frequenting those environments.
• Indications that hair may constitute a viable minimally-invasive method for monitoring the presence of some FRs in humans.
• Confirmation that indoor contamination of FRs is ventilating outdoors, where it becomes available for incorporation into the food chain.
• Better understanding of the extent to which FRs in indoor dust are absorbed by the human body following ingestion.
• Development of mathematical models that provide improved prediction of the fate of FRs in indoor environments.
• Data that enhance our understanding of the human health impacts of exposure to FRs.
These research results have been disseminated to the scientific community via numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals. To date, INFLAME has resulted in 31 such publications, with a further 6 manuscripts currently under review for publication. It is anticipated that approximately a further 10-15 such publications will result. Dissemination has also occurred via numerous presentations by INFLAME trainees and their supervisors at national and international conferences.
INFLAME’s results will benefit policy-makers by providing a sounder science foundation on which risk assessment of the FRs studied by INFLAME may be based. In turn this will benefit public health. INFLAME’s insights into the potential for using hair as a monitor of human exposure to FRs will benefit exposure assessment efforts as it opens up the possibility of easier and more ethical monitoring of exposure of young children. Industry benefits from INFLAME’s results by its insights into how and at what rate FRs transfer from treated materials into indoor air and dust, as such enhanced knowledge can facilitate design of products from which such transfer is minimised. A further major impact of INFLAME is its benefits for the future careers of its trainees. This has wider socioeconomic benefits by its contribution to human capital in a knowledge-based economy. The skills sets acquired by INFLAME’s trainees have not only enabled them to achieve the research objectives of INFLAME, but will equip them with knowledge that they will be able to exploit throughout their careers. The consequence is that society will benefit far into the future from former trainees’ research in the area of chemicals risk assessment and related areas.
In conclusion, as well as delivering a cohort of 14 highly-trained early career scientists, the scientific results of INFLAME have furthered our understanding of the processes via which organic flame retardant chemicals enter the indoor environment, how this translates into human exposure, and the possible human health impacts of such exposure.
Further Information
More information about the INFLAME project may be found at www.birmingham.ac.uk/inflame
You may also email the Co-ordinator Professor Stuart Harrad S.J.Harrad@bham.ac.uk
The main research goal of INFLAME was to further understanding of how and to what extent flame retardant (FR) chemicals used in every-day consumer goods (such as electronics and furniture) and construction materials (e.g. building insulation foam) enter humans and of the risk to health that such exposure presents. INFLAME’s vision was that this enhanced understanding will inform assessment of risk associated both with recent and current-use flame retardant chemicals, and of those under development, and ultimately lead to more sustainable approaches to meeting fire safety regulations.
INFLAME's principal research objectives were to discover:
(1) the mechanisms via which FRs transfer from products within which they are incorporated;
(2) how and to what extent such transfer leads to human exposure; and
(3) the effects of such exposure.
The aim of INFLAME’s Training Programme was to increase the knowledge base and experience of a cohort of trainees (12 Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) and 2 Experienced Researchers ERs)) in the different research areas and to develop their transferable skills for future careers in the private sector, public sector, or the regulatory community. Our training vision was thus to develop a cohort of young scientists with the necessary depth and breadth of experience combined with the research and transferable skills required to communicate and work effectively across disciplinary and sectoral boundaries.
Summary of Work Conducted:
All trainees have undergone extensive training in both project-specific and complementary skills, both at their host organisations and at other partners during secondments. All ESRs have been registered for a PhD. To date 3 ESRs have been awarded their PhD, with the rest expected to complete successfully their PhD studies over the next 12 months. Project-specific research skills acquired by trainees include training in operation of environmental sampling and laboratory equipment, such as air samplers, in vitro biological assay techniques, and a variety of chromatographic-spectroscopic instruments. Trainees have gained experience of presenting their research results by active participation in a variety of national and international conferences, workshops, and symposia. A particular highlight has been a Special Scientific Session dedicated to the results of INFLAME that was held at the 33rd International Symposium on Halogenated Persistent Organic Pollutants in Korea in August 2013, at which all INFLAME trainees made at least 1 presentation.
In terms of network-level training, INFLAME has provided its trainees with 5 Advanced Training Courses (ATCs), as well as a workshop designed to develop their capacities for interdisciplinary working. These ATCs are as listed below:
1. Techniques for Monitoring Exposure to FRs
2. Techniques for Monitoring FRs in the Environment
3. Techniques for Evaluating Effects of Human Exposure to FRs
4. Mathematical Modelling Approaches to Understanding the Environmental Fate and Behaviour of FRs
5. The Role of Science outside Academia: Communication with other Stakeholders
Main Results Achieved:
The main scientific achievements of the INFLAME project are listed below:
• New information on the extent of contamination of electronic waste and childrens’ toys with a range of organic flame retardants (FRs).
• Significant advances in analytical methods that permit measurement of FRs in contaminated materials.
• Significant augmentation of the database on measurement of the rate at which FRs are emitted from goods like furniture and electronics into indoor air and dust. A highlight is the novel discovery that for some FRs, direct contact between treated materials and dust (e.g. when dust settles on top of a TV), is the most effective transfer pathway.
• Data on the extent to which concentrations of various FRs in indoor environments correlate with concentrations present in individuals frequenting those environments.
• Indications that hair may constitute a viable minimally-invasive method for monitoring the presence of some FRs in humans.
• Confirmation that indoor contamination of FRs is ventilating outdoors, where it becomes available for incorporation into the food chain.
• Better understanding of the extent to which FRs in indoor dust are absorbed by the human body following ingestion.
• Development of mathematical models that provide improved prediction of the fate of FRs in indoor environments.
• Data that enhance our understanding of the human health impacts of exposure to FRs.
These research results have been disseminated to the scientific community via numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals. To date, INFLAME has resulted in 31 such publications, with a further 6 manuscripts currently under review for publication. It is anticipated that approximately a further 10-15 such publications will result. Dissemination has also occurred via numerous presentations by INFLAME trainees and their supervisors at national and international conferences.
INFLAME’s results will benefit policy-makers by providing a sounder science foundation on which risk assessment of the FRs studied by INFLAME may be based. In turn this will benefit public health. INFLAME’s insights into the potential for using hair as a monitor of human exposure to FRs will benefit exposure assessment efforts as it opens up the possibility of easier and more ethical monitoring of exposure of young children. Industry benefits from INFLAME’s results by its insights into how and at what rate FRs transfer from treated materials into indoor air and dust, as such enhanced knowledge can facilitate design of products from which such transfer is minimised. A further major impact of INFLAME is its benefits for the future careers of its trainees. This has wider socioeconomic benefits by its contribution to human capital in a knowledge-based economy. The skills sets acquired by INFLAME’s trainees have not only enabled them to achieve the research objectives of INFLAME, but will equip them with knowledge that they will be able to exploit throughout their careers. The consequence is that society will benefit far into the future from former trainees’ research in the area of chemicals risk assessment and related areas.
In conclusion, as well as delivering a cohort of 14 highly-trained early career scientists, the scientific results of INFLAME have furthered our understanding of the processes via which organic flame retardant chemicals enter the indoor environment, how this translates into human exposure, and the possible human health impacts of such exposure.
Further Information
More information about the INFLAME project may be found at www.birmingham.ac.uk/inflame
You may also email the Co-ordinator Professor Stuart Harrad S.J.Harrad@bham.ac.uk