Public health advocates allege that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is manipulating safety data related to TBBPA, a flame retardant used across the US economy. Independent research has indicated that TBBPA, found in dust in US homes and in consumer goods, may present a danger to the public, particularly small children.
The EPA is currently considering restrictions for TBBPA. Advocates claim this situation is another instance of the Trump administration collaborating with industry to minimise the risks of a profitable chemical.
While European agencies and international cancer organisations have identified TBBPA as a probable carcinogen, the EPA's new draft risk assessment used an approach that public health groups describe as unusual to conclude it is not carcinogenic at the levels the US public and children are believed to be exposed to. Environmental groups also allege the agency relies heavily on industry science that underestimates the chemical's toxicity and exposure levels.
TBBPA, a brominated flame retardant, is applied to circuit boards and cases for electronics, as well as products like toothbrushes, children's clothing, carpeting, and furniture. The chemical is linked to hormone disruption, brain damage, immune system toxicity, and developmental harms in children, including to the reproductive and nervous systems.
If approved, the current risk assessment will be used to establish regulations for the flame retardant. The EPA's assessment stated there was no "unreasonable risk" to consumers or children despite the chemical's widespread use, and suggested no restrictions on TBBPA's application to consumer goods were necessary.