 Spanning the years of 1986-2006 this report has served to inform policy makers and interested individuals outside of regulatory agencies.Another notable publication is the report titled, An Assessment of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) in Sediments and Bivalves of the U.S. Coastal Zone.This report investigated the relatively new class of compounds known as Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) which act as flame retardants.