The EPA says it will begin assessing 23 chemicals – 20 of which are commonly used as flame retardants (FR) -- for potential risks to human health and the environment. This effort is part of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Work Plan which identifies commonly used chemicals for risk assessment.

The EPA has released a report identifying substitutes for decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE), a commonly used flame retardant chemical which has been shown to damage human health and the environment.