Estimating Bromine Abundance in Society from WEEE Brominated Flame Retardants

Abstract

Brominated flame retardants are used in various products such as electrical products and electronic devices because of their efficiency and convenience. Among these, polybrominated diphenyl ether is subject to international regulation under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants(POPs). In this study, it was estimated this abundance by analyzing the bromine content contained in the waste of home appliances. This analysis was conducted when the brominated flame retardant was continuously used with and without regulation. Upon analyzing the bromine content from each scenario, differences due to the presence or absence of the regulations were clearly evident.