Banned Chemicals Persistently Threaten Environment in Middle East and North Africa

Environmental health across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) faces a stealthy threat from legacy pollutants: polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). These man-made flame retardants, once widely used in electronics, furniture, and textiles to reduce fire risks, have been globally phased out due to their persistent toxic effects. Yet, new research from the University of Sharjah reveals that PBDE contamination remains a significant concern, woven into the fabric of urban and industrial landscapes throughout the region.

A comprehensive systematic review, published recently in Environmental Research, synthesized data from 38 studies covering seven MENA countries. The findings paint a complex and heterogeneous picture of PBDE contamination, with industrialized and urban areas showing especially high levels. Turkey and Kuwait contribute most extensively to the evidence base, highlighting hotspots of pollution tightly linked to ongoing industrial activity and dense urban infrastructure.

The review underscores the chemical tenacity of PBDEs. Highly brominated congeners, particularly BDE-209, show a strong affinity for soils and sediments, which act as long-term sinks preserving traces of these flame retardants decades after their use has ceased. Meanwhile, lower-brominated forms like BDE-47 and BDE-99 dominate indoor dust and air, implicating consumer electronics and treated furniture as ongoing sources of exposure. This persistence bridges outdoor environments and the indoor spaces where people spend much of their time, raising public health concerns especially for vulnerable groups such as children.

Indoor contamination routes are critical yet often overlooked. The review highlights the role of dust ingestion in children’s exposure pathways, exacerbated by electronics-heavy environments, poor ventilation, and the increasing presence of recycled plastics containing residual PBDEs. As MENA countries pursue ambitious recycling and circular economy strategies, the risk of reintroducing these hazardous compounds into new consumer products grows, demanding proactive chemical safety measures.

The researchers employed the rigorous PRISMA framework to ensure a transparent and systematic appraisal of available literature, exposing significant data gaps across much of the region beyond Turkey and Kuwait. This uneven surveillance undermines a full understanding of the scale and impact of PBDE pollution and calls for expanded monitoring infrastructure and investment.

Beyond documenting contamination patterns, the study reframes PBDE pollution as an integrated environmental challenge linking product safety, e-waste management, atmospheric transport, and ecosystem health. The authors advocate for coordinated, cross-media monitoring across air, water, soil, sediments, dust, and biota to develop evidence-based management strategies.

In an era of accelerating environmental change and urban expansion, legacy pollutants like PBDEs reveal the hidden cost of prior technologies. The study serves as a cautionary tale and a call to action: without integrating chemical screening into emerging waste management and recycling efforts, the cycle of contamination will continue to threaten human and environmental health across the MENA region.