The Trouble with Bromine

The bromine atom was a definitive constituent of a number of industrial chemicals that were produced in very large quantities and performed useful functions in society until unexpected environmental impacts emerged and international actions were taken to curb their effects. Change was slow in coming because it took roughly half a century for awareness to bring about change. Ethylene dibromide was a fuel additive that removed lead deposits from internal combustion engines using the octane enhancer tetraethyl lead. However, while bromine protected the engine, it released the lead into the environment, damaging the health of urban populations. Methyl bromide was the preeminent agricultural fumigant and bromofluoro-compounds were leading fire suppressants until they were phased out under the Montreal Protocol to protect the ozone layer. Brominated flame retardants leaked out of plastic materials and migrated to cold regions, where they bioaccumulated along food chains and affected the development of birds and marine mammals. The worst offenders have now been banned under the Stockholm Convention. Industrial chemists have responded to these unexpected environmental impacts, which are examples of Rumsfeld's 'unknown unknowns', by creating safer but still effective alternatives. Continued environmental monitoring is needed to guard against more 'surprises

Bromine · Coast guard · Environmental protection · Guard (computer science · Montreal Protocol · Ozone · Ozone layer · Waste management · Chemistry · Computer Science · Engineering · Environmental Science · Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact · Environmental Chemistry · Organic Chemistry