Danger of PVC

Beyond your imagination !!!

Environment & humanWhole product life cycle: production use disposal

Production: • Releases of EDC and VCM carcinogens during process; • Release of heavy distillate material

Use: • Release of toxicants in PVC products

Disposal: • landfill cause leachates • incinerated generate dioxin

Production

• vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) & ethylene dichloride (EDC) are by-products of PVCOn human: highly volatile VCM jeopardise workers’

health ( risk of liver / brain cancer) colourless EDC , inhalation/ direct contact

may have toxic effect

VCM & EDC are genotoxic cause irreversible damage to DNA (e.g.

Birth defects/ genetic diseases of descendants)

On environment: improper treatment of VCM & EDC or other

by-products contaminate (underground)water and sediment (e.g. alluvial soil)

Case study:In Japan, consumption on rice irrigated by river water polluted by cadmium Kidney disease & Osteomalacia

Use

• the use of PVC products threaten human health

On human: PVC additives phthalate plasticizers increase

risk of asthma PVC flooring persistent wheezing,

pneumonia, prolonged cough… etc metal stabilizers (e.g. lead) leach into potable

water

Disposal

• discarded PVC materials are hazardousOn human: phthalates and metals leach out of disposed

products into landfill leachate groundwater contamination

accidental PVC fire permanent respiratory disease

fire release dioxin reproductive disorders, immune suppression

On environment: burning of chloride (major component of

PVC) during combustion of incineration Release of toxic dioxin regarded as persistent organic pollutants

(POPs), dioxin accumulate in atmosphere recycling of PVC is extremely difficult