Defining Vinyl Chloride
Vinyl chloride was used in aerosol spray propellant. If inhaled in large amounts the reactions could be similar to dizziness, unconsciousness, drunkenness and confusion. Vinyl chloride is a flammable and colorless gas faintly sweet odor. The odor of vinyl chloride exceeds 4000 parts per million. The current exposure of vinyl chloride is 4000 times higher than what is recommended by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Parent compound of vinyl chloride , polyvinyl chloride is a plastic used in numerous industrial and consumer products such as battery cell separators , containers ,food storage containers, windows, video discs, irrigation systems , flooring ,pornograph records , refrigerator gas ,wrapping firm , electrical insulation ,latex paints, credit cards and water distribution things like hose and drain pipes.
Nowadays vinyl chloride monomer is used by industries for the production of polyvinyl products. Historically it was used for aerosolized pesticides, women’s hair spray and for some medicines. Although PVC and vinyl chloride monomer are two different substances, PVC resins and vinyl chloride monomer are used for the manufacture of PVC. Workers at the PVC plant are exposed to the higher degree of vinyl chloride monomer than those working at the vinyl chloride manufacturing plant. Vinyl chloride is supplied as 99.9 per cent pure liquid but it is also found in PVC fabricating and processing plant, in ethylene dichloride and at methyl chloroform plants.
Vinyl chloride monomer, chloroethene, chlorethylene, ethylene monochloride, monochloroethylene, monochloroethene, and VC are synonyms of Vinyl chloride.
Vinyl Chloride Exposure and Health Effects
The National Toxicology Program declares Vinyl chloride as human carcinogen. This study was published in the Sixth Annual Report on Carcinogens. It can be one of the major causes of cancer in human beings. The Environmental Protection Agency’s Toxic Release Inventory has also classified vinyl chloride as carcinogen.
Group of people exposed to high level of vinyl chloride showed the carcinogenic effect on people. Not only are the workers in plastic and chemical industry exposed to high quantity of vinyl chloride but also the workers engaged in the manufacture of polyvinyl chloride products like shower curtains ,toys etc. are also exposed to vinyl chloride. Excess of vinyl chloride exposure damages the developing fetus. Spouses of workers exposed to vinyl chloride underwent abortions spontaneously.
According to many studies conducted, it has been found that exposure to vinyl chloride leads to lung, liver and brain cancer and hematopoietic and lymphatic malignancies.
Occupational exposure of vinyl chloride causes diseases like brain angiosarcomas, liver hemangiomas and angiosarcomas, lymphopoietic system tumors lung adenocarcinomas and angiosarcomas and other lymphomas.
Long term effects of prolonged exposure to vinyl chloride causes diseases like:
Acro osteolysis, a disease in which the bones of the finger erode
Pseudo scleroderma, a disease in which the skin becomes tight and smooth
Raynaud’s syndrome, a disease in which the blood vessels are damaged resulting in the pain and coldness.
When inhaled, ingested or contacted with skin, it causes lightheadedness, drowsiness and dizziness and irritates skin, eyes and upper respiratory system. High levels of exposure may lead to weakness, skin allergies, nausea, headaches, unconsciousness, stomach ulcers and even death.
Places where vinyl chloride is Produced:
Following is the list of 12 locations where vinyl chloride is produced in United States:
- Oxychem in Deer park, TX
- Georgia Gulf in Plaquemine, LA
- Condea Vista in Lake Charles, LA
- Dow in Free Port, TX
- PHH Monomers in Lake Charles, LA
- Borden in Geismar, LA
- Formosa in Point Comfort, TX
- Formosa in Baton Rouge, LA
- Oxy Mar in Ingleside, TX
- Geon in LaPorte, TX
- West Lake in Calvert City, KY
- Dow in Plaquemine, LA
Acts and Regulation of Vinyl Chloride
In 1974, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Food and Drug Administration and the Consumer Product Safety Protection banned vinyl chloride as an aerosol propellant.
Keeping in mind the protection of people the Environmental Protection Agency determined the water quality criteria under the Clean Water Act. Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act , EPA has classified vinyl chloride as dangerous constituent of waste . EPA under the Safe Drinking Water Act recommends maximum contaminant level for vinyl chloride.
Under Hazard Communication Standard, vinyl chloride is regulated as a chemical hazard in laboratories. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration established permissible exposure limit of vinyl chloride.
Exposure of more than one thousand pound of vinyl chloride into land, water or air should be reported annually. This was established under the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act of 1986.
Delaware ,Texas and Louisiana are three states in which large amount of vinyl chloride was released in 1989.