Vinyl Chloride Health Hazards
Gastrointestinal absorption is unlikely as vinyl chloride is a gas at room temperature.
Vinyl chloride health hazards. Vinyl chloride monomer ld50 rat inhalation. Contact with the liquid or gascan cause frostbite. Absorption is rapid and nearly complete. Exposure to pvc often includes exposure to phthalates and chlorine.
Chloroethene chloroethylene ethylene monochloride monochloroethene monochloroethylene vc vcm vinyl chloride monomer vcm colorless gas or liquid below 7 f with a pleasant odor at high concentrations. Vinyl chloride is a chemical intermediate not a final product. It can enter drinking water released from contact with pvc pipes according to the u s. Shipped as a liquefied compressed gas.
Inhalation is the major route of vinyl chloride exposure. Animal studies have shown that vinyl chloride via inhalation increases the incidence of angiosarcoma of the liver and. Inhalation is the primary route of exposure and vinyl chloride is readily absorbed from the lungs. Manufacturing burning or landfilling pvc releases dioxins.
Central nervous system effects. The following acute short term health effects may occur immediately or shortly after exposure to vinyl chloride. Phthalates dioxins and bpa are suspected to be endocrine disruptors. Vinyl chloride exposure is associated with an increased risk of a rare form of liver cancer hepatic angiosarcoma as well as brain and lung cancers lymphoma and leukemia.
This data for bis 2 ethylhexyl phthalate and vinyl chloride monomer apply to the pure form of the compound. Vinyl chloride an essential component of pvc is a carcinogenic and potentially explosive gas with a mild sweet odor. Polyvinyl chloride pvc is very stable storable and nowhere near as acutely toxic as the vinyl chloride monomer vcm. 18 pph 15m vinyl chloride monomer is an osha cancer suspect agent acgih confirmed human carcinogen and ntp and iarc human carcinogen.
Due to the hazardous nature of vinyl chloride to human health there are no end products that use vinyl chloride in its monomer form. In classifying the hazards of vinyl chloride at least the following hazards are to be addressed. Pvc contains chemicals that may have adverse health effects. Dermal absorption is negligible.