Toxic Flame Retardants Face Global Control Scrutiny, Raising Concerns for Textile Industry

Stockholm Convention committee advances review of DBDPE and TBPH, chemicals identified in textiles and associated with environmental and health concerns

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Two toxic flame-retardant chemicals used in plastics and found in textiles are facing increased scrutiny under the Stockholm Convention after its Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee (POPRC) found that decabromodiphenylethane (DBDPE) and tetrabromophthalate (TBPH) meet the criteria for global control, according to IPEN.

The decision was taken at the committee’s 22nd annual meeting in Rome, held during the week preceding IPEN’s September 27, 2026 release. IPEN said studies have linked the chemicals to developmental health problems and serious reproductive health conditions, including reduced sperm quality. The substances have also been described as persistent and bioaccumulative, with evidence of their presence globally, including in remote regions such as the Arctic.

For the textile sector, DBDPE is particularly relevant because it is produced and used in high volumes globally and has been found in textiles, alongside applications in electrical and electronic equipment, automotive components, and building and construction materials. TBPH is primarily used as a flame retardant and plasticizer.

Textile supply chains face chemical scrutiny

The development highlights the growing importance of flame-retardant chemistry for textile manufacturers and suppliers operating in performance-oriented segments. DBDPE’s reported use in textiles places the chemical directly within the textile value chain, while TBPH’s use as a flame retardant and plasticizer adds to concerns around chemical exposure and environmental persistence.

IPEN said previous flame retardants with similar applications have been globally banned under the Stockholm Convention, while DBDPE and TBPH have been used for years as replacements for those substances. It characterized this practice as a hazardous “regrettable” substitution, arguing that regulation of one chemical can lead to the use of another toxic alternative.

The issue is therefore relevant not only to chemical producers but also to textile manufacturers and other companies using flame-retardant treatments or materials, particularly where changing regulatory requirements can affect product chemistry and supply-chain specifications.

Evidence of widespread contamination

According to IPEN, studies have detected DBDPE in breast milk, serum, umbilical cord blood, hair and nails, with evidence that it can be transferred to a fetus during pregnancy. TBPH has been detected in fish, aquatic invertebrates, birds, mammals and humans, while studies cited by IPEN indicate exposure through bird eggs and human breast milk and the ability of the substance to cross the placenta in rats.

The Stockholm Convention is described by IPEN as a global, legally binding agreement aimed at protecting human health and the environment from persistent organic pollutants. The committee’s latest findings therefore put additional attention on chemicals that remain in use as alternatives to previously restricted flame retardants.

Brominated dioxins and furans also advance

The POPRC also advanced brominated dioxins and furans to the final stage of evaluation after delaying action at the previous year’s meeting. IPEN said these substances, along with mixed brominated and chlorinated dioxins and furans, form large groups of highly toxic chemicals.

According to the organization, they can be unintentionally formed from brominated chemicals during production of brominated flame retardants, plastic-waste recycling or burning, and metallurgical processes. The committee requested additional information on the properties of mixed brominated-chlorinated dioxins and furans despite similarities with chlorinated counterparts already listed for global elimination from unintentional production.

For textile businesses, the latest POPRC developments reinforce the importance of monitoring chemical inputs used in products and processes where flame-retardant chemistry is involved. The textile sector is directly implicated through the reported use of DBDPE in textiles, while the wider review signals continued international scrutiny of brominated chemical substances and their environmental and health impacts.