Inventory of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) in the Transport Sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are flame retardants whose use is restricted to industrial production in line with the Stockholm Convention due to their persistence and toxicity. Some congeners were restricted in 2009, while the decaBDE restriction entered into force in 2017. Selected plastic products containing PBDEs are still widely used and may potentially impact human health and the environment. This paper investigates the presence of the PBDEs in transport vehicles and related wastes in BiH during 2020. The applied estimation method was proposed by the Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention, including a calculation based on the statistical data at the national level and literature data on PBDE concentration in the different vehicle types. It has been estimated that the most PBDEs come from the old transport vehicles that are still in use (4,582.72 kg), while the amount of PBDEs in imported vehicles and end-of-life vehicles is at a low level, 6.10 kg and 213.30 kg, respectively. Inadequate disposal of old vehicles has been identified as a significant environmental threat in Bosnia and Herzegovina related to PBDE contamination.