1. Danger of PVC
Beyond your imagination !!!

2. Environment & human
Whole product life cycle:
production use  disposal
Production:
• Releases of EDC and VCM carcinogens during
process;
• Release of heavy distillate material

3. Use:
• Release of toxicants in PVC products
Disposal:
• landfill cause leachates
• incinerated generate dioxin

4. Production
• vinyl chloride monomer
(VCM) & ethylene dichloride
(EDC) are by-products of PVC
On human:
 highly volatile VCM jeopardise workers’
health ( risk of liver / brain cancer)
 colourless EDC , inhalation/ direct contact
may have toxic effect

5.  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

6. 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

7. Disposal
• discarded PVC materials are hazardous
On 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

8. 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