American Fire Retardant Corp. Comments On Non-Use of PBDE Chemical
BUSINESS WIRE - January 31, 2002 09:35
SAN DIEGO, Jan 31, 2002 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- American Fire Retardant Corp. (OTCBB:AFRC) (www.americanfireretardant.com), a fire protection company that specializes in fire prevention and fire containment, announced today that the Company does not use or advocate the use of a chemical flame retardant commonly used in foam furniture called polybrominated diphenyl ether, generally known by the acronym PBDE.
"Early studies show it poses some of the same dangers as PCBs and DDT. Those two chemicals were banned in the United States years ago for their detrimental effects on animal and human health," commented American Fire Retardant Corp. President Stephen F. Owens.
"PBDE is accumulating so rapidly in the breast milk of nursing mothers that environmentalists and some scientists are calling for a ban on it," stated Ownes.
Like PCBs and DDT, PBDE is a persistent organic pollutant, or POP. POPs can remain in the environment for years without breaking down. Some of these pollutants have such an affinity for fat that they build up in the bodies of both animals and humans from before birth until death.
"There is an enormous need to act quickly when there is a problem with a chemical that is not only toxic but it is persistent and accumulates, because it will continue to get worse before it gets better," added Owens.
American Fire Retardant Corp. is set to begin manufacturing in February of its recently developed fire retardant aerosol product, Fyberix 2000-V. |
