Home Safety / Compounds / Firemaster 550

Firemaster 550 in your home: a safety profile

Elevated risk for your home

(Your Household-specific data is limited; this page draws from human adult context.) Firemaster 550 is a brominated/organophosphate flame retardant mixture used as a replacement for pentabromodiphenyl ether (pentaBDE) in polyurethane foam. Contains triphenyl phosphate (TPP), isopropylated triphenyl phosphate (IPTP), TBB, and TBPH. Multiple studies demonstrate endocrine disruption: TPP is anti-androgenic and obesogenic; TBPH is structurally similar to DEHP. Detected in house dust (median 5-10 μg/g), breast milk, and indoor air. Patton et al. (2016) showed FM 550 exposure in rats caused obesity, advanced puberty, and cardiac effects. Bergman et al. identified it as a regrettable substitution for pentaBDE.

What is firemaster 550?

Also known as: FM 550, Great Lakes FM-550.

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Risk for your household

Elevated risk

Firemaster 550 is a brominated/organophosphate flame retardant mixture used as a replacement for pentabromodiphenyl ether (pentaBDE) in polyurethane foam. Contains triphenyl phosphate (TPP), isopropylated triphenyl phosphate (IPTP), TBB, and TBPH. Multiple studies demonstrate endocrine disruption: TPP is anti-androgenic and obesogenic; TBPH is structurally similar to DEHP. Detected in house dust (median 5-10 μg/g), breast milk, and indoor air. Patton et al. (2016) showed FM 550 exposure in rats caused obesity, advanced puberty, and cardiac effects. Bergman et al. identified it as a regrettable substitution for pentaBDE.

Regulatory consensus

1 regulatory bodyhas classified Firemaster 550.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EPA2016Not specifically regulated as a mixture; individual components subject to TSCA

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where your home encounter firemaster 550

  • Furniture
  • Electronics
  • House Dust
  • Human Biomonitoring

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Firemaster 550:

  • Barrier fabrics (inherently flame-resistant textiles)
    Trade-offs: Eliminates chemical FR entirely. Slightly higher manufacturing cost. California TB 117-2013 allows barrier approach.
    Relative cost: Slightly higher
  • Alumina trihydrate (ATH)
    Trade-offs: Requires high loading (50-60% by weight). No EDC concern. Heavy.
    Relative cost: Lower

Frequently asked questions

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Sources (2)
  1. Stapleton et al. (2008) ES&T — Identification of Flame Retardants in Polyurethane Foam — journal
  2. Patton et al. (2016) Endocrinology — Firemaster 550 exposure effects on rat physiology — journal

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →