pvc: A dire miscellany

[Guest guest]

The first item got my goat (though not the first such goat-was-got today),

so I did some searching about PVC.

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California builders win long fight to use plastic water piping

SAMANTHA YOUNG

Associated Press

SACRAMENTO - California homebuilders on Monday won the right to use

less-expensive plastic water piping instead of copper, ending a

two-decade-long battle against groups that warned of plastic's potential

health hazards...

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/northern\

_california/16575140.htm

Hidden Hazards: Health Impacts of Toxins in Polymer Clays.

http://www.vpirg.org/campaigns/consumer/reports/HiddenHazardsCover.html

Popular polymer clays used by children for modeling contain a mixture of

chemicals that are linked to a wide range of health problems. Polymer

clays are a form of modeling clay that have become popular in recent years

among children. Unfortunately, these clays contain polyvinyl chloride

(PVC) mixed with phthalate plasticizers. Children and adults using polymer

clays may be exposed to phthalates at harmful levels, even when clays are

prepared following proper package directions. And when polymer clay is

overheated enough or accidentally burned, the PVC will break down and

release highly toxic hydrochloric acid gas.

Published by Vermont Public Interest Research Group. 15 July 2002

Major input from industry into the EPA's assessment of the toxicological

effects of vinyl chloride weakened public health safeguards. The

assessment downplayed risks from all cancer sites other than liver, and it

reduced by 10-fold cancer potency estimates. The results illustrate flaws

in EPA's trend toward increasing collaboration with regulated industries

when generating scientific reviews and risk assessments. EHP. 26 March

2005

http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2005/7716/abstract.html

Critiques of the Precautionary Principle.

http://www.rachel.org/bulletin/index.cfm?issue_ID=2407

With precautionary policies gaining traction in several venues, including

Europe and California, the chemical industry is stepping up its criticisms

of the Precautionary Principle. This report examines some of the common

critiques made of the Precautionary Principle.

Published by 's Environment and Health News. 6 December 2003.

Contaminated: the next generation.

http://www.wwf.org.uk/News/n_0000001359.asp

Children as young as nine years old are not only contaminated with a

cocktail of hazardous man-made chemicals but can have higher

concentrations of certain newer chemicals than older generations. Of the

104 chemicals analysed, 80 were detected - children were found to have 75

chemicals in their blood, 75 were found in parents and 56 in grandmothers.

Published by World Wildlife Fund - UK, United Kingdom. 10 October 2004.

State of the evidence 2004: what is the connection between the environment

and breast cancer?

http://www.breastcancerfund.org/site/pp.asp?c=kwKXLdPaE & b=204760

Scientific evidence indicates that multiple and chronic exposures are

contributing to the epidemic of breast cancer affecting US women today.

Contaminants implicated include common chemicals often occurring in the

household, as well as medical products, appliances, cars and rainware.

Published by Breast Cancer Fund, Breast Cancer Action. 7 October 2004.

PVC: Bad News Come in Threes

http://www.besafenet.com/pvc.htm

PVC plastic poses human health threats in its use and in its disposal. The

ubiquitous plastic uses additives that are linked to health hazards and

that are released during use. Disposal by incineration creates dioxins.

And now the US faces a looming waste crisis with an estimated 70 billion

pounds of PVC headed for disposal in the next decade.

Published by Center for Health, Environment & Justice. 8 December 2004.

The risk of adult-onset asthma is more than double for workers employed in

offices with plastic wall-lining. This conclusion emerged from a

case-control study in southern Finland examining the work and home

environment of 521 asthmatics and 932 controls. The researchers suggest

that the association is a result of increased exposure to the phthalate

DEHP in work environments that have used materials containing polyvinyl

chloride, which can be as much as 40% by weight DEHP. 7 November 2006.

http://www.ourstolenfuture.org/NewScience/oncompounds/phthalates/2006/2006-1107j\

aakkolaetal.html

Workers exposed to the phthalates DBP and DEHP in an occupational setting

have higher phthalate levels and lower free testosterone levels than

unexposed workers. The workers were employed in a polyvinyl chloride

flooring factory in China. Within the exposed worker group, free

testosterone was inversely correlated with phthalate levels. Environmental

Health Perspectives. 4 November 2006

http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2006/9016/abstract.html

eof