EU Exemption of Deca-BDE Clears the Way for Continued Use

RICHMOND, Va., Oct. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Specialty chemicals maker Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB) announced that on October 15, 2005, the European Union made an important decision to exempt the widely used brominated flame retardant, deca-BDE, from its Restriction of Hazardous Substances (ROHS) directive.

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This decision, which was based on more than ten years of analysis from 588 different studies, clears the way for manufacturers of consumer and industrial electronics, as well as other goods, to continue to look to deca-BDE to meet the fire safety needs of the public in the most efficient way possible, not only in Europe but around the globe. Laura Ruiz, Albemarle's Corporate Director, Consumer Advocacy, comments, "This is welcome news for manufacturers worldwide who use our flame retardants as they can now confidently design their products for fire safety with the most widely used and tested flame retardant on the market today. We applaud the EU for making this scientifically based decision."

Deca-BDE is commonly used in many household and industrial applications such as computers, TVs, office equipment, mobile phones, upholstered furniture, and mattresses. Some 90% of all electrical and electronic appliances include brominated flame retardants. An example of deca-BDE's life saving impact is through its use in televisions. Based upon data from the National Fire Protection Association, it has been estimated that deca-BDE saves some 190 lives per year in the United States alone by slowing the spread of fires in televisions, thereby increasing escape time for fire victims. In its areas of application, deca-BDE's effectiveness is unsurpassed in terms of flame retardancy as well as safety from an environmental and human health standpoint.

Albemarle Corporation, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, is a leading global developer, manufacturer and marketer of bromine, bromine derivatives, and other highly engineered specialty chemicals for consumer electronics; petroleum and petrochemical processing; transportation and industrial products; pharmaceuticals; agricultural products; and construction and packaging materials. The Company operates in three business segments-Polymer Additives, Catalysts and Fine Chemicals, and serves customers in approximately 100 countries. Learn more about Albemarle at http://www.albemarle.com.

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding Albemarle Corporation's business that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see "the filings" the Company makes with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those discussed under "Risk Factors" in its Registration Statement on Form 3.

SOURCE: Albemarle Corporation

CONTACT: Mr. Carson Greer, Corporate Communications, of Albemarle Corporation, +1-804-788-6092, carson_greer@albemarle.com