Brominated flame retardants are used in many household products like mattresses and upholstery. Why is there some concern about their use? (1). They are highly resistant to degradation in the environment. (2). They are able to accumulate in humans and animals. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Both statements are true, so the answer is C. Brominated flame retardants (BFRs), such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), are added to foams, plastics and textiles to slow the spread of fire. They are not chemically bonded to the material, so they leak out over time, and they resist breakdown in air, water and soil. That persistence is why they are classed as persistent organic pollutants (POPs).

Statement 2 is also established. These compounds are fat-soluble, so they accumulate in the fatty tissue of animals and humans and biomagnify up the food chain. Breast milk and fish are well-documented exposure routes. The Stockholm Convention listed penta- and octa-BDE in 2009 and added deca-BDE in 2017.

• A is wrong because it ignores the bioaccumulation concern in statement 2.
• B is wrong because it ignores the environmental persistence in statement 1.
• D is wrong because both concerns are scientifically recognised.

Mains angle: this links to GS-III on environment and pollution, and to e-waste management, since many BFRs end up in discarded electronics.

Trap: students often treat persistence and bioaccumulation as the same property. They are separate. A chemical can persist in the environment without accumulating in organisms, and the question tests both.