Abstract
This study investigates the presence of Stockholm Convention listed short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) and their replacement medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs) counterparts in polyvinyl chloride and rubber consumer products and toys purchased on the Belgian market in 2019. SCCPs were detected in 27/28 samples at concentrations ranging from <LOQ–130,000 µg/g with a median level of 2.5 µg/g, while MCCPs were detected in only five samples ranging <LOQ–3500 µg/g. Levels of SCCPs in all but one of the samples were below the European Union’s guideline limit of 0.15%, by weight, and concentrations of both SCCPs and MCCPs in the majority of products suggested unintentional incorporation to the polymeric materials. The homologue distribution of SCCPs was generally dissimilar to known commercial formulations and appeared to be indicative of contamination during manufacture or via recycling of previously treated goods. MCCP patterns, conversely, were broadly representative of those reported for industrial mixtures and may have been inadvertently incorporated via the application of mixed carbon-chain length CP formulations or recycled goods. This research suggests that overall SCCP presence has decreased in goods on the European market compared with previous reports and that both SCCPs and MCCPs may still enter EU marketplaces from unintentional sources.
Highlights
Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are industrial chemicals used in a broad array of applications as flame-retardants and plasticizers
CPs consist of chlorinated n-alkanes ranging from C6 to C38 which are commonly categorized as short-chain (SCCPs; C10 –C13 ), mediumchain (MCCPs; C14 –C17 ) and long-chain (LCCPs; C>17 ) [1] with weight-based chlorination degrees ranging from approximately 30–70%
This study assessed short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) and replacement medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs) in a range of consumer products and toys purchased in 2019 on the Belgian market to determine overall concentrations and potential sources to the materials. These results suggested that SCCPs had only been incorporated intentionally within approximately 4% of analyzed samples, demonstrating a marked decrease in SCCP application compared with products purchased in the European Union (EU)
Summary
Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are industrial chemicals used in a broad array of applications as flame-retardants and plasticizers. CPs consist of chlorinated n-alkanes ranging from C6 to C38 which are commonly categorized as short-chain (SCCPs; C10 –C13 ), mediumchain (MCCPs; C14 –C17 ) and long-chain (LCCPs; C>17 ) [1] with weight-based chlorination degrees ranging from approximately 30–70%. Despite indications that MCCPs and LCCPs may share many of the harmful characteristics of SCCPs, these homologue groups appear to have been implemented widely as replacements for the banned substances [6,7,8,9,10]. Production expanded again dramatically after 2006 as Chinese manufacturing rose from 260,000 tonnes/year (t/y) to more than 1,000,000 t/y in 2013 [13]
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