Health Risks of PVC Plastic

Four prominent groups – the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Toxicology Program, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer – agree that PVC is one of 52 chemicals that are confirmed to cause cancer in humans.

PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, is just one of the plastics that have been in the news lately because of their health risks. Phthalates and Bisphenol A are also extremely hazardous, but PVC is a major concern because it is so widely used. Until fairly recently, the only trials done on it’s safety were performed by the very companies that profited from it’s manufacture. No surprise then that health risks were minimized and the environmental pollution associated with both it’s production and disposal was ignored. But thankfully, the times are changing…

PVC plastic #3 is one of the most hazardous consumer products ever created.

PVC, also known as vinyl, is commonly used in baby shampoo bottles, hard water bottles, plumbing, blister packaging, saran wrap, shower curtains, car interiors and thousands of other products. Recognize that distinctive new car smell, new shower curtain smell?  That’s the smell of poisonous chemicals off-gassing from PVC plastic. Here’s a more complete list of where PVC plastic is still routinely used.

• Personal care products such as soap, shampoo, deodorants, hair spray, and nail polish
• All artificial fragrances
• Vinyl siding on homes and buildings
• Plumbing fixtures
• Flexible hoses and tubing
• Flooring
• Roofing membranes
• Insulation for electrical cable and wires
• Magnetic stripe cards
• Materials used to cushion and cover furniture
• Pipelines in the water and sewage industries
• Adhesives
• Detergents
• Lubricating oils
• Solvents
• Automotive plastics
• Plastic fabrics and clothing

PVC is dangerous to human health and the environment throughout it’s entire life cycle, during production, in our homes, and in the trash. At each stage it releases poisonous chemicals such as mercury, dioxins, and phthalates, which can cause cancer and harm the immune and reproductive systems. Workers at PVC plants may face life-long health risks from exposure to PVC and other hazardous chemicals used to make PVC. Babies and young children are especially vulnerable to these toxins and exposure greatly increases the following health risks:

• Hormonal imbalances
• Reproductive and developmental problems
• Allergies in children
• Brain cancer
• Leukemia or cancer of the blood.
• Scleroderma or hardening of connective tissue throughout the body
• Cholangiocarcinoma – a malignant tumor near the gall bladder and liver
• Angiosarcoma – a malignant tumor arising from a blood vessel
• Lymphomas or cancer of the lymph system
• Liver cirrohosis

Disposing of PVC plastics is an environmental nightmare.

PVC cannot be effectively recycled due to the many different toxic additives used to soften or stabilize it. Most consumers don’t know that a #3 in the recycle symbol indicates that the plastic is made of PVC, and therefore by attempting to recycle those products, inadvertently render thousands of potentially recycled containers useless.  In fact, just one PVC bottle can contaminate a recycling load of 100,000 PET bottles!

An estimated 7 billion pounds of PVC is discarded every year in landfills where it pollutes ground water and is a serious environmental hazard. Another 600 million pounds of PVC are burned in waste incinerators around the U.S. each year, polluting our air and creating a toxic ash. It is estimated that 300 billion pounds of longer-lasting PVC products, such as construction materials that last 30 to 40 years, will soon reach the end of it’s life cycle and require replacement and disposal.

When burned, PVC plastic forms dioxins, a highly toxic group of chemicals that can be carried long distances and eventually shows up in the food chain, both land and sea. It also can cause cancers and harm both the immune and reproductive systems. The use of PVC plastics has reached a crisis level and many organizations are now mobilizing to switch over to safer plastics with a less harmful affect on human health and the environment. It’s about time.

Safer, Healthier Alternatives are Readily Available

The good news is that safer, cost-effective, alternatives to PVC are readily available for virtually every use.  From safer plastics, to bio-based materials, there is a growing market replacing hazardous PVC products. You can help build consumer demand for safer, healthier products by avoiding the purchase of PVC.  Just look for the number “3” inside or the letter “V” underneath the universal recycling symbol. If you suspect that a product is made of PVC, one, don’t buy it, and two, contact the product manufacturer and ask them to switch to safer materials.

It is a sad fact that our government does not protect us from a fraction of the toxic chemicals used in industry and in common everyday products. The petrochemical industry has powerful lobbyists in Washington who have convinced our politicians to turn a blind eye and keep their profits pouring in. These companies can switch to safer plastics but business as usual will continue unless we lift our voices together. By educating ourselves and voting with our dollars we can be heard in the boardrooms of the giant petrochemical industries. It’s time to say no to PVC plastics in our world.

How to reduce the PVC risk:

1. Use glass containers and bottles rather than plastic ones.
2. When wrapping foods for storage or to take out, avoid plastic cling or saran wrap. Cellulose bags, wax paper, and butcher paper are better choices. Glass or stainless steel containers are even better.
3. Whenever possible, buy food and supplies in bulk to reduce the amount of packaging that is consumed.
4. Whenever possible, choose packaging materials that are easily recycled. Paper, glass, and metal cans are good choices.
5. Take cloth or recycled bags to shop and say no to plastic bags.
6. Bring non-plastic containers to cafeterias, salad bars, and other places that typically use plastic containers to serve their food on.
7. Use stainless steel utensils. Plastic utensils should be avoided whenever possible since they have to repeatedly come into contact with our mouths.
8. If a microwave must be utilized, never use it to cook food that is in contact with plastic cling wrap or in a plastic container labeled #3, 6 or 7.

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