Policy by analogy: Precautionary principle, science and polybrominated diphenyl ethers

International Journal of Global Environmental Issues

Volumn 5, Issue 1-2, 2005, Pages 54-67

  Gouin, T ^a   Booking, S ^a   Mackay, D ^a,b  

^a TRENT UNIVERSITY   (Canada)

^b UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO   (Canada)

Author keywords

Analogy; Brominated flame retardants; Persistent organic pollutants; Polybrominated diphenyl ethers; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Precautionary principle; Stockholm convention

Indexed keywords

CHEMICAL POLLUTANT; PBDE; PCB; POLLUTION EXPOSURE; POLLUTION POLICY; PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE;

EID: 15244359021     PISSN: 14666650     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1504/IJGENVI.2005.006262     Document Type: Review

References (37)

1. (2003) EU bans two PBDEs, in Chemistry in Britain.
2. Alaee, M. and Wenning, R.J. (2002) 'The significance of brominated flame retardants in the environment: current understanding, issues and challenges', Chemosphere, Vol. 46, No. 5, pp.579-682.
3. Boethling, R.S. and Mackay, D. (Eds.) (2000) Handbook of Property Estimation Methods for Chemicals: Environmental and Health Sciences, Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press LLC.
4. BSEF (2000) An Introduction to Brominated Flame Retardants, Brussels, Belgium:. Bromine Science and Environmental Forum.
5. Carson, R. (1962) Silent Spring, New York: Houghton Mifflin.
6. CEC (2000) Communication on the Precautionary Principle, Brussels, 2 February 2000, Commission of the European Communities.
7. CEC (2001) Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending for the 24th time Council Directive 76/769/EEC relating to restrictions on the marketing and use of certain dangerous substances and preparations (pentabromodiphenyl ether), in COM(2001) 12 final, Commission of the European Communities.
8. Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic, Sept. 22, 1992. 32 1.L.M. 1069 (1993).
9. Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, Nov. 13, 1979. TIAS No. 10,541, 1302 UNTS 217.
10. Darnerud, P.O., Eriksen, G.S., Johannesson, T., Larsen, P.B. and Viluksela, M. (2001) 'Polybrominated diphenyl ethers: occurrence, dietary exposure, and toxicology', Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol. 109, pp.49-68.
11. ECETOC (2003) Persistence of Chemicals in the Environment, Brussels: European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals.
12. Eckley, N. and Selin, H. (2004) 'All talk, little action: precaution and European chemicals regulation', Journal of European Public Policy, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp.78-105.
13. GOC (2003) A Framework for the Application of Precaution in Science-based Decision-making about Risk, Ottawa: Government of Canada.
14. Gouin, T. and Harner, T. (2003) 'Modelling the environmental fate of the polybrominated diphenyl ethers', Environment International, Vol. 29, No. 6, pp.717-724.
15. Gouin, T., Mackay, D., Webster, E. and Wania, F. (2000) 'Screening chemicals for persistence in the environment', Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 34, No. 5, pp.881-884.
16. Gustafsson, K., Bjork, M., Burreau, S. and Gilek, M. (1999) 'Bioaccumulation kinetics of brominated flame retardants (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) in blue mussels (Mytilus edulis)', Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Vol. 18, No. 6, pp.1218-1224.
17. Hardy, M.L., Biesemeier, J., Manor, O. and Gentit, W. (2003) 'Industry-sponsored research on the potential health and environmental effects of selected brominated flame retardants', Environment International, Vol. 29, No. 6, pp.793-799.
18. Harremoës, P., Gee, D., MacGarvin, M., Stirling, A., Keys, J., Wynne, B. and Vaz, S.G. (Eds.) (2002) The Precautionary Principle in the 20th Century, London: Earthscan.
19. Hesse, M.B. (1966) Models and Analogies in Science, Notre Dame IN: University of Notre Dame Press.
20. Ikonomou, M.G., Rayne, S. and Addison, R.F. (2002) 'Exponential increases of the brominated flame retardants, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, in the Canadian arctic from 1981 to 2000', Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 36, No. 9, pp.1886-1892.
21. Kemmlein, S., Herzke, D. and Law, R.J. (2003) 'BFR - governmental testing programme', Environment International, Vol. 29, No. 6, pp.781-792.
22. Koppe, J.G. and Keys, J. (2002), PCBs and the precautionary principle, in: P. Harremoes, D. Gee, M. MacGarvin, A. Stirling, J. Keys, B. Wynne and S. Guedes Vaz (Eds.) The Precautionary Principle in the 20th Century: Late Lessons from Early Warnings, Sterling, VA: Earthscan Publications Ltd, pp.64-78.
23. Law, R.J., Alaee, M., Allchin, C.R., Boon, J.P., Lebeuf, M., Lepom, P. and Stern, G.A. (2003) 'Levels and trends of polybrominated diphenylethers and other brominated flame retardants in wildlife', Environment International, Vol. 29, No. 6, pp.757-770.
24. Mackay, D. (2001) Multimedia Environmental Models: The Fugacity Approach, 2nd Edition, Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press LLC.
25. Mazdai, A., Dodder, N.G., Abernathy, M.P., Hites, R.A. and Bigsby, R.M. (2003) 'Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in maternal and fetal blood samples', Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol. 111, No. 9, pp.1249-1252.
26. McGinn, A.P. (2000) Why Poison Ourselves? A Precautionary Approach to Synthetic Chemicals, Washington, DC: Worldwatch Institute.
27. Munro, I.LC. (1994) 'Interpretive review of the potential adverse-effects of chlorinated organic-chemicals on human health and the environment', Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, Vol. 20, No. 1, pp.S1-S1056.
28. Palm, A., Cousins, I.T., Mackay, D., Tysklind, M., Metcalfe, C. and Alaee, M. (2002) 'Assessing the environmental fate of chemicals of emerging concern: a case study of the polybrominated diphenyl ethers', Environmental Pollution, Vol. 117, No. 2, pp.195-213.
29. Risebrough, R.W., Rieche, P., Herman, S.G., Peakall, D.B. and Kirven, M.N. (1966) 'Polychlorinated biphenyls in the global ecosystem', Nature, Vol. 220, pp.1098-10102.
30. Sissell, K. (2003) 'Regulation-California imposes bans on two brominated flame retardants', Chemical Week, Vol. 165, No. 31, p.42.
31. Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. 40(3) I.L.M. 532 (2001).
32. Tickner, J.A. (Ed.) (2003) Precaution: Environmental Science and Preventive Public Policy, Washington, DC: Island Press.
33. Troitzsch, J.H. (1998) Overview of flame retardants', Chimica Oggi - Chemistry Today, Vol. 16, Nos. 1-2, pp.18-24.
34. UNEP (2001) 'Final act of the conference of plenipotentiaries on the Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants', UNEP/POPS/CONF/4, United Nations Environment Programme, Stockholm, Sweden.
35. Wania, F. and Dugani, C.B. (2003) 'Assessing the long-range transport potential of polybrominated diphenyl ethers: a comparison of four multimedia models', Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Vol. 22, No. 6, pp.1252-1261.
36. Wenning, R.J. (2002) 'Uncertainties and data needs in risk assessment of three commercial polybrominated diphenyl ethers: probabilistic exposure analysis and comparison with European Commission results', Chemosphere, Vol. 46, No. 5, pp.779-796.
37. WHO (1994) Environmental Health Criteria 162. Brominated diphenylethers, Geneva: World Health Organisation.