Case study uses Proscale to compare toxicity of two polyamides

A case study within Mistra SafeChem has performed a comparative assessment of the human toxicity potential via direct exposure of a polyamide produced with two different flame retardants. The study was performed with ProScale and in cooperation with the industry partner BASF.

ProScale is a tool in the Mistra SafeChem toolbox, providing a hazard and exposure based scoring system for comparing chemical risks associated with products in a life cycle perspective. Current scope of ProScale cover human toxicity via direct exposure, e.g., worker exposure during production.

Together with BASF, one of the programme’s industry partners, a case study for testing ProScale was developed. The aim was to perform an assessment of the human toxicity potential of the life cycle of two flame retardant polyamides. The goal was to compare the cradle-to-gate ProScale score (inhalation and dermal exposure) of the two flame retardant polyamides.

The first polyamide, the reference product, is based on a brominated flame retardant. The second is a nitrogen-based flame retardant free from halogens.

– The results indicates that that the second product has a lower toxicity potential compared to the first one with regards to human toxicity via direct exposure in the defined cradle-to-gate systems, comments the author Therese Kärnman, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute.

Another conclusion is that the use of raw materials originating from crude oil can have a high impact in downstream processes even though the value chain is rather long. This is important to keep in mind when defining the system boundaries for a ProScale assessment.

Download the report here: ProScale applied in a Mistra SafeChem case study with BASF Pdf, 3.3 MB, opens in new window.