2 – 1 5 % ▁of ▁the ▁weight ▁of ▁the ▁final ▁product ▁will ▁consist ▁of ▁oct a B DE . ▁ ▁The ▁annual ▁demand ▁world wide ▁was ▁estimated ▁as ▁ 3 , 7 9 0 ▁t onnes ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁of ▁which ▁Asia ▁account ed ▁for ▁ 1 , 5 0 0 ▁t onnes , ▁the ▁Amer icas ▁ 1 , 5 0 0 ▁t onnes , ▁and ▁Europe ▁ 6 1 0 ▁t onnes . ▁ ▁The ▁United ▁Nations ▁Environment ▁Program me ▁reports ▁" Since ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁it ▁[ oct a B DE ] ▁is ▁no ▁longer ▁produced ▁in ▁the ▁EU , ▁USA ▁and ▁the ▁Pacific ▁R im ▁and ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁information ▁that ▁indicates ▁it ▁is ▁being ▁produced ▁in ▁developing ▁countries ." ▁ ▁Environment al ▁chem istry ▁Oct a B DE ▁is ▁released ▁by ▁different ▁processes ▁into ▁the ▁environment , ▁such ▁as ▁em issions ▁from ▁the ▁manufact ure ▁of ▁oct a B DE - cont aining ▁products ▁and ▁from ▁the ▁products ▁themselves . ▁E lev ated ▁concentr ations ▁can ▁be ▁found ▁in ▁air , ▁water , ▁soil , ▁food , ▁sed iment , ▁sl ud ge , ▁and ▁dust . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁environment , ▁" ph ot ol ysis , ▁an a er ob ic ▁de grad ation ▁and ▁met abol ism ▁in ▁bi ota " ▁can ▁cause ▁deb rom ination ▁of ▁oct a B DE , ▁which ▁produces ▁P B DE s ▁with ▁fewer ▁b rom ine ▁atoms ▁" which ▁may