The Harmful Volatile Organic Compounds in PVC Plastics

If you're asked to quickly name one substance that is both convenient and durable, what will it be? If your answer is plastic, be glad to know that it's high up on the list of possible answers. In fact, only a few other materials are known to be more convenient or more durable than plastic.

Plastic is a material that comes in different forms and appears in various shapes. You look around and you won't fail to find something that is made of plastic - food containers, fan blades, shower caps, file folders, and so on and so forth. Because plastic is break-resistant, it is a safe substitute for glass in feeding bottles. Some items, such as shower curtains, raincoats, pipes, and even credit cards, are made of a plastic known as Polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

Inspite of the apparent convenience and durability of plastics, some chemical by-products from them have been identified as possible causes of several health problems. The vinyl chloride vapor, for example, that is used to manufacture PVC can cause cancer. Hydrochloric acid fumes, which are highly toxic, are emitted when PVC burns. Also, vinyl plastics have volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in them. Under conditions of humidity and heat, VOCs are released as vapors which, when inhaled or absorbed through the skin, can cause a number of health problems: irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, blurred vision, dizziness, joint pain, fatigue, nausea, pain in the chest, and palpitations or skipped heartbeats. The more serious ones - damage to kidneys, lungs, and liver, infertility, and cancer (particularly that of the testicles) - are very likely when exposed to a significant amount for a long period of time. One disputatious health condition, known as multiple chemical sensitivity, is believed to arise as a consequence of continuous exposure to low levels of VOCs, or of a single fairly large exposure to them. The difference is that not all people are highly susceptible to the harmful effects of VOCs.

To provide another example of what VOCs are, these are the chemicals that make up most of the oil-based paints and can change state quickly from liquid to vapor. It is this toxic vapor that can cause the different illnesses mentioned here when inhaled, the same one that may be emitted by PVCs when degrees of humidity and heat are considerably high.

There are a few simple ways by which we can limit our exposure to the harmful effects of VOCs from PVCs. One is to use a curtain made of fabric, instead of vinyl, in your shower. But if you do use a vinyl curtain, it is a must that air circulates freely within your bathroom. Another way is not to allow food to come in contact with plastic wraps when using the microwave, or not to use plastic containers that are not meant for microwave use. [Read the Original Article]