Discussion of FRs in mobile phones in Ecodesign work. pinfa has input (November 2020) to the ongoing preparation of EU Ecodesign criteria for ‘Mobile phones, smartphones and tablets’ indicating the phosphorus ester FRs found in screens are probably being used for other purposes, e.g. as plasticisers. The draft project report (Task 3) referred to Zhang et al. 2019 who tested for 52 FRs in mobile phones from 2015 or earlier, finding mainly TPHP, TBOEP, EHDPP, TEP, TCEP and TCIPP*, mainly present in the phone screen. Mean total FR content was c. 30 mg FRs per phone.
“Distribution of flame retardants in smartphones and identification of current-use organic chemicals including three novel aryl organophosphate esters”, Y. Zhang et al., Science of the Total Environment 693 (2019) 133654, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.133654
* TPHP = Triphenyl phosphate , TBOEP = tris(2-butoxyethyl)phosphate, EHDPP = 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate, TEP = triethyl phosphate, TCEP = tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate, TCIPP = tris(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate