PVC in the Environment
Producing PVC requires the use of chlorine gas. PVC ranks the third in both global plastic output and consumption. Over 33 million tons of PVC is being produced each year and that figure is increasing annually. Around 57% of PVC’s mass is chlorine, so it requires less petroleum than many other polymers. (Thornton, 2002) PVC is strong, resistant to oil and chemicals, sunlight, weathering and flame resistant. It’s everywhere around us. PVC is an incredibly versatile material use in bottles, packaging, toys, construction materials, bedding, clothing, piping, wire coatings, imitation leather, furnishings and more.
PVC is a hazardous consumer material in the environment. Its lifespan presents formation and discharge of organochlorines and other hazardous substances to the environment. Plastic been one of the most environmentally hazardous consumer materials produced has PVC which creates high magnitudes of persistent organic pollutants and
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Dioxins are categorized as global pollutants that are found in the tissues of aquatic animals and in humans. Dioxins are formed fortuitously whenever chlorine organic chemicals are scorched, in the synthesis of the feedstocks Ethylene dichloride (EDC) and vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), burning of vinyl products in unintended fires, incineration of vinyl products and the hazardous wastes from PVC production. (Thornton, 2002) Human infants receive particularly high doses, because dioxins cross the placenta easily and concentrate in breast milk. (Thornton, 2002). There is no known safe dose of dioxin. Dioxin causes impairment to reproduction development, the immune and the endocrine systems at very low doses. Dioxin is a potent carcinogen to animals and humans posing health risks to a population already high on doses. (Thornton,
This last process is significant not only because it brought dioxin the current notoriety but it also is a chemical process used to make products that were used and are still been used in many applications. These applications include pesticide, herbicide, defoliating agent such as Agent Orange, cleaning agent and electrical insulation. Consequently, human exposure to dioxin is not a recent phenomenon and the dangers of dioxin are not unknown. Only in recent years, especially after the Vietnam War, has the media concentrated on the dangers and impact of dioxin.
This procedure takes place in an oven called an HCl burner and produces a chemically pure hydrochloric acid that is stored as a concentrated solution (about 30% HCl) and is the purest hydrochloric acid commercially produced. It is chemically possible to produce up to 40% HCl but this solution evaporates a too fast a rate for it to be used for commercial use. However, this method accounts for only 10% of all hydrochloric acid production. Most hydrochloric acid, especially the more diluted solutions, are made as the by-product of creations of PVC plastics. PVC plastics creation use a process called chlorinated and fluorinated. Chlorinated happens when chlorine molecule (Cl2) replace hydrogen atom in the hydrocarbon (R−H) (a type of Haloalkanes) whereupon the released hydrogen atom recombines with the spare atom from the chlorine molecule to form Hydrogen chloride
The reason that this dioxin is so dangerous is that the “dioxin is persistent organic pollutant that is toxic over many decades, is not water-soluble and does not degrade easily. Clinging to soil particles carried by water runoff from spills or sprayed areas downstream into the sediments of lakes or streams; it is consumed by mollusks, fish and waterfowl, easily entering the human food chain.” It is chemically stable and is retained in the human fatty tissue. If it is detected early it can be treated by surgery or medication but usually if it is found to late then it can’t be treated (make agent orange
National Center for Manufacturing Sciences. (2004, August 11). Environmental Roadmapping Initiative. Retrieved October 14, 2011, from Plastics Impacts, Risks and Regulations: http://ecm.ncms.org/ERI/new/IRRPlastics.htm
The affects teratogens can have on the developing fetus can vary greatly. Research provided from the University of Iowa’s on teratogens explains some of the possible outcome to exposure to certain teratogens. Listed birth defects resulting from exposure to teratogens, range from prenatal death, to physical and mental abnormalities.
During recent years, numerous newspaper and magazine articles have suggested that humans may be at risk because small amounts of well known environmental contaminants, such as dioxin, PCBs and DDT, can affect hormone levels. Hormones are produced by the endocrine system as regulators of biological function in target organs. Because hormones play a critical role in early development, toxicological effects on the endocrine system often have an impact on the reproductive system. The term endocrine disruptor is used to describe chemicals that can mimic hormones and may either enhance or counteract their effects. It has been suggested that these hormone changes can, in turn, lead to a variety of health problems including cancer, decreased fertility, and abnormalities in newborns.
PVC is classified as a thermoplastic, which can be re-shaped in the presence of heat. Situations where temperatures reach up to 160 degrees Celsius (melting point) would cause deformation to the PVC; this would be considered a
There is also debate on how much better biodegradable plastics are in the first place. This is because as biodegradable plastics break down, they break up into smaller and smaller pieces, but never quite disappear. This leaves the potential that the plastic would continue entering the food chain. But although biodegradable plastics aren’t perfect, they are still much safer than standard plastic and present a much lower risk. In addition, by making the shift to ban single use plastics, research towards better plastic alternatives will speed up and better solutions will become available. Over time, these new alternatives to plastics may spread to other items that aren’t single use, making an even greater impact on the health of humans and the
The US Container Recycling Institute estimates that 67 million plastic water bottles are discarded every day, which is enough to wrap around the planet 149 times each year. Therefore, plastic water bottles should be banned from public use. The usage of water bottles should be suppressed because they are incredibly dangerous, wasteful, expensive, and rarely recycled. Researchers have stated that plastic bottles containing water can contain many harmful chemicals. After close examination of the plastic, researchers have concluded that some plastics contain chemicals, such as phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), endocrine disruptors, and carcinogens, which may leach into the water, especially after being stagnant for long periods of time.
Another study measured the levels of flame retardants in both mothers’ prenatal and their children’ serums, and found that high concentrations of flame retardants like polybrominated diphenyl ethers were associated with a poorer attention than normal, slower cognitive development, and motor coordination difficulties. (Hamers, 2017)
There are six classifications of plastics, each assigned a number. Numbers 1 and 2 are commonly recycled, 4 is recycled less, and the others are generally not recycled. The first is polyethylene terephthalate (PET).[2] PET is commonly used in making liquid containers such as plastic soda and water bottles and has many other applications.[1] Recycled PET also has many applications, including textiles, sheets for tapes, and the bottle market.[2] The second type of plastic is high-density polyethylene (HDPE). HDPE is used in milk, detergent, and oil bottles and plastic bags. It is crushed into flakes and washed, then dried and shaped into pellets. Some uses for recycled HDPE are trash cans, flower pots, lumber, and other non-food applications.[2] The third type of plastic is vinyl or poly vinyl chloride (PVC). Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is the fourth type of plastic, and is used in many plastic bags and shrink wraps. It has the same chemical makeup as HDPE but is less dense and more flexible. Recycled LDPE is used for plastic trash bangs and grocery sacks and plastic lumber, as well as several other applications.[2] The fifth type of plastic is polypropylene (PP), which is used in food wrap, some carpets, and bottle tops. P...
Although companies across the globe continue to produce multiple polycarbonate #7 plastic products with BPA, more is being noticed about the adverse health effects to humans can be harmful. Testing on mice has proven that some exposure to BPA can be linked to Cancer and neurological disorders. In countries which have banned the use of BPA in different products, would agree that this chemical is toxic and dangerous. However, as long countries like the United States, who do not currently support banning BPA countrywide due to limited scientific data to back all claims, BPA will continue to be a global issue which continues to be hidden in the dark and a mystery globally
In recent years it has become clear that some environmental chemicals can cause risks to the developing embryo and fetus. Evaluating the developmental toxicity of environmental chemicals is now a prominent public health concern. The suspected association between TCE and congenital cardiac malformations warrants special attention because TCE is a common drinking water contaminant that is detected in water supplies throughout the U.S. and the world. There is a lot of concern about the clean up of toxic pollutants from the environment.
made from oil and natural gas. Using plastics to replace packaging materials such as metal
These fragments absorb all the toxins that pollute waterways, contaminate soil, and sicken animals (which are then consumed). Plastic trash also absorbs organic pollutants such as BPA. They take centuries to decompose while sitting in landfills, amounting to billions of environmentally poisonous time bombs. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical compound used to create polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins. Polycarbonate plastics are found in a wide range of products, but food and drink containers are the most concerning.