World's Most Commonly Used Flame Retardant Material Deca to Be Phased Out in the United States Due to Toxicity
January 12 2010 - 4:01PM
Marketwired
MSE ENVIRO-TECH CORP. (MEVT) (PINKSHEETS: MEVT) (FRANKFURT: MEH) is
pleased to report on a December 16, 2009 landmark development that
has very positive implications for the Company's environmentally
friendly MSE Flame Inhibitor. On that auspicious day, Rep. Chellie
Pingree (D-Maine) introduced a bill in the House aimed at
legislation that will see a phase-out leading to a total ban on the
use of deca-based fire retardants in 2013. This phase out will
leave a gaping hole in the critical market need for a non-toxic,
effective and environmentally friendly fire inhibitor. MSE
Enviro-Tech Corp.'s new MSE Fire Inhibitor meets all of these
requirements, and management believes that this news enhances the
product's marketing potential enormously.
Deca Industry Agrees
Within days of the Deca phase-out Bill announcement, three large
chemical companies and officials of the federal Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) announced a deal to phase out the toxic
flame retardant Decabromodiphenyl ether (Deca). The voluntary
agreement with these bromine industry giants would end production,
importation and use of Deca in all consumer products by December
2012. A full ban would take effect one year later.
What is Deca?
The term Deca is commonly used to describe the family of
Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) that consist of organic
compounds containing bromine. They encompass a variety of toxic
chemicals such as polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDEs), and
Decabromodiphenyl ether (Deca).
Dangers of Deca
Deca is a potent neurotoxin and suspected carcinogen that puts
humans, particularly children, at risk. Deca persists in the
environment and accumulates in food and in people. Children appear
to absorb higher levels of the chemical. In 2008, pioneering
research by Environmental Working Group produced the first-ever
detection of Deca in the blood of American children. The children
in the study had higher blood concentrations of Deca than their
mothers. Like other PBDEs, Deca upsets the developing brain and
reproductive system. But recent studies indicate that it also
impacts the reproductive system, possibly at even lower exposure
levels. In addition to its direct toxicity there are serious
concerns that Deca breaks down in the environment to form PBDEs
with fewer bromines, which are more persistent and bioaccumulative
in people.
Deca is heavily used as a flame retardant in a wide range of
products, including consumer electronics, furniture, paints,
textiles and plastic shipping pallets. It is the most commonly used
flame retardant material in the US, and around the world as a
whole. On hearing the news of the phase-out, Sonya Lunder, senior
scientist at Environmental Working Group (EWG), stated, "We applaud
the Deca phase-out deal. Deca is a potent neurotoxin and suspected
carcinogen that puts children at risk. It needs to be banned."
A Better Mousetrap ... MSE Fire Inhibitor
More than a fire retardant that merely slows down a fire's burn
rate, MSE Enviro-Tech Corp.'s new MSE Fire Inhibitor prevents
ignition; materials treated with this inhibitor will not burn. The
Company's environmentally friendly, water-based fire inhibitor is
non-toxic and it is believed to be the most effective flame
inhibitor available to replace Deca-based fire retardants as that
toxic material is phased out of the marketplace.
The Flame Retardant Market
In the United States alone, some 4,000 people die in fires
annually and over 250,000 are injured, with the financial loss
caused by fire totaling over $250 billion. Annual sales of flame
retardants have grown to approximately 1,500,000 tonnes, amounting
to some $2.5 billion in value. MSE Enviro-Tech Corp. intends to
aggressively pursue this market, now that it is being relinquished
to safe, effective products such as its MSE Fire Inhibitor.
MSE Enviro-Tech Corp.
As a technology transfer company focused on the identification
of promising opportunities, MEVT's recognition of a critical need
for an effective anti-fire technology has guided a program of
extensive testing and applications formulating over the past 2-plus
years, including working with prospective major users who desire an
economical and effective fire inhibitor. Accordingly, the Company
has positioned itself to fulfill a critical anti-fire market need
across many applications. Management is enthused that by developing
its superior and more economical fire inhibiting product, MSE
Enviro-Tech Corp. will now quickly achieve the marketing goals that
it has set for itself in bringing an effective ant-fire product to
a broad range of North American markets.
For more information and/or to subscribe for regular news
updates from MSE Enviro-Tech, please visit:
http://www.mseenviro-tech.com
Common Shares Outstanding: 15,979,373
Safe Harbor Statement
This release may contain forward-looking statements that involve
risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, acceptance
of the company's products, increased levels of competition, product
and technological changes, the company's dependence upon financing
and third-party suppliers, and other risks detailed from time to
time in the company's materials. Statements are subject to change
without notice. We assume no obligation to update any
forward-looking statements and nothing herein should be taken as a
promise or representation.
Contact: MSE Enviro-Tech Corp. Investor Relations Contact: Mr.
Brent O'Connor +1 647 343-2549