On June 12, 2026, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a draft risk evaluation for tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), a widely used flame retardant, under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The draft evaluation assessed risks associated with the manufacture, processing, use, and disposal of TBBPA in products including electrical and electronic equipment, batteries, textiles, laboratory chemicals, and construction materials. Based on exposure modeling and real-world monitoring data, EPA identified unreasonable risks to workers from inhalation exposure under certain conditions of use and unreasonable environmental risks from releases to surface waters during specific processing and disposal activities. The draft evaluation did not identify unreasonable risks to consumers or the general population. EPA also evaluated potential impacts on aquatic and terrestrial organisms and reported strong confidence in many of its environmental risk estimates. EPA has opened a 60-day public comment period and will submit the draft evaluation for independent peer review by the Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC). Following review of public and scientific input, EPA will finalize the risk evaluation and, if unreasonable risks are confirmed, may propose risk management measures under TSCA Section 6(a) to address identified occupational and environmental exposures.
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