In the 1970s, industry scientists discovered that vinyl chloride, a chemical used to make vinyl plastic, could cause angiosarcoma, a rare form of liver cancer, in workers exposed at the time to very high doses. This led to a complete overhaul of the vinyl production process, which became essentially a closed loop, recycling wastes back into production and minimizing worker exposure. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued strict regulations in 1975, limiting workplace exposure to 1 part per million averaged over eight hours. There have been no documented cases of angiosarcoma of the liver among vinyl chloride manufacturing plant workers whose careers in the industry began after the new regulations were promulgated.

Allegation
Workers in vinyl product fabricating plants, where vinyl plastic is molded into finished products such as pipe or siding, are exposed to levels of vinyl chloride that can cause cancer.

Fact
Studies of workers in vinyl product fabricating plants in the 1977-80 time frame found no related adverse health effects. Vinyl chloride levels in the workplace are strictly regulated by the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration. A peer-reviewed, air-monitoring study of injection molding and cable extrusion operations concluded, "No vinylchloride monomer was detected on either occasion and this is thought to be due to its low residual concentration in the resins." (Forrest, Jolly, Holding and Richards, "Emissions from Processing Thermoplastics," Annals of Occupational Hygiene, Vol. 39, No. 1, 1995, pp. 35-53.).

Allegation
Vinyl chloride causes brain cancer.

Fact
A significant amount of epidemiological research has been done to determine whether a causal link exists between exposure to vinyl chloride and brain cancer. The results of this research have been reviewed by some of the world's leading authorities, including British epidemiologist Sir Richard Doll, who identified the link between smoking and cancer; Dr. Aaron Blair, director of the Occupational Epidemiology Division of the National Cancer Institute; and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which studied the health records of more than 12,000 vinyl chloride workers in Europe. Their conclusion has been that the accumulated evidence does not support a causal link between exposure to vinyl chloride and brain cancer.

Allegation
Vinyl manufacturing is a major source of dioxin.

Fact
Dioxin is a byproduct of natural and human activities, including incineration, forest fires, metal smelting, and certain industrial processes involving chlorine and other organic compounds. Vinyl production accounts for an extremely small amount of dioxin - only grams per year. Fireplaces and vehicle exhaust each produce more dioxin than vinyl manufacturing. The good news is that dioxin levels in the environment are declining, and this has happened even as vinyl production has soared. Here is what EPA and other federal agencies say:

• "Dioxin levels in the environment have declined significantly since the 1970s, following EPA regulatory controls and industry actions. EPA's best estimates of emissions from sources that can be reasonably quantified indicate that dioxin emissions in the United States decreased by about 80 percent between 1987 and 1995, primarily due to reductions in air emissions from municipal and medical waste incinerators, and substantial further declines continue to be documented." ("Dioxin: Summary of the Dioxin Reassessment Science," Information Sheet 1, U.S. EPA, June 12, 2000)

• "As a result of EPA's efforts, along with efforts by state government and private industry, known industrial emissions in the United States will be reduced by more than 90 percent from 1980 levels within the next year or so." ("Questions and Answers about Dioxin," Interagency Working Group on Dioxin, July 2000)

Allegation
Living near Louisiana chemical plants (for example, in Calcasieu Parish, where a number of chemical companies have plants), causes cancer.

Fact
Cancer statistics compiled by the Louisiana Tumor Registry do not support this allegation. According to a report by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, data collected by the Louisiana Tumor Registry during the years 1988-1997 shows that, "overall cancer incidence in Calcasieu Parish is in line with national and statewide cancer incidence rates." In addition, several independent studies have been undertaken to determine whether an association exists between exposure to vinyl chloride and cancer in the general population. These include studies conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and specific reviews conducted in the states of New York and Wisconsin, as well as in Great Britain, Sweden, Holland and Canada. Representatives of the U.S. EPA have stated that the agency has been unable to establish a link between living near a vinyl chloride/PVC plant and angiosarcoma.

Allegation
Living near Louisiana chemical plants exposes communities to high levels of dioxin and volatile organic compounds.

Fact
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency air monitoring at several stations in Calcasieu Parish in Jan.-Feb. 2001 found that

• dioxin concentrations in the air were 200 times less than the EPA action level.

• mean average concentrations of vinyl chloride and ethylene dichloride (both of which are involved in manufacturing vinyl) were below state annual average air standards. Emissions from U.S. vinyl manufacturing facilities in companies that belong to the Vinyl Institute have declined significantly in recent years. From 1987-1999, as vinyl production increased 72 percent, emissions of ethylene dichloride were reduced 94 percent and emissions of vinyl chloride were reduced 72 percent.

Allegation
The industry covered up the facts about angiosarcoma of the liver.

Fact
The chemical industry played a major role in discovering the link between exposure to vinyl chloride and angiosarcoma of the liver. After the discovery, the industry responded swiftly to make its workplace safe. B. F. Goodrich Company first observed the appearance of angiosarcoma in its Louisville plant and promptly advised the government of a potentially serious health problem. Marcus M. Key, M.D., then assistant Surgeon General and Director of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), congratulated B. F. Goodrich Company in a letter dated January 31, 1974. Key stated: "Had not the Company taken the initiative it did in following up on suspicions aroused by the occurrence of the rare type of liver cancer (i.e., angiosarcoma) discovered in several of its employees at autopsy, it is entirely possible that the significance presently attached to the appearance of those tumors would not have been realized for several more years."

Allegation
U.S. industry conspired with Italian researcher Dr. Cesare Maltoni to conceal facts about the dangers of vinyl chloride.

Fact
U.S. industry representatives agreed to confidentiality terms demanded by Maltoni as a prerequisite to viewing his data in order to learn where their own (U.S.) research should be focused. The U.S. industry's action was responsible given Maltoni's terms. Maltoni complimented the U.S. companies for the way they responded to the first reports of his preliminary animal data by investigating, detecting, and reporting an occupational problem affecting workers. Dr. Maltoni's comments were published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences in 1976. Additionally, the chemical industry told the government about Dr. Maltoni's preliminary findings. At a meeting in 1973, NIOSH was informed that European testing had produced tumors in laboratory animals at relatively low levels, down to 250 parts per million. NIOSH also was told that further animal testing would be conducted and epidemiological research was being commissioned to look for possible adverse health effects in vinyl chloride workers. The NIOSH officials, whose expertise included chemical safety and occupational exposure, saw no need for drastic action at the time and in fact took no such action.

Allegation
Vinyl was responsible for injuries in a number of large fires in the 1970s and 1980s.

Fact
During the 1970s and 1980s, such allegations were made - and disproved as a result of numerous fire performance studies. Vinyl building products are based on a naturally fire-resistant polymer, and some contain additional fire retardants. This means generally that vinyl products are slow to catch fire, their flame spread is slow and they cease to burn after the flame source is removed. All building fires are toxic. Firefighters know that heat and carbon monoxide (CO) - produced in all fires -- are the biggest threats. Fortunately, smoke alarms in homes and alarms and sprinklers in commercial buildings are able to detect and suppress fires.

Allegation
Vinyl cannot be disposed of safely.

Fact
Vinyl building products last a long time, but at the end of their useful lives they can be disposed of the same way as other non-hazardous building materials. Landfills have actually been lined with vinyl to prevent leaks into groundwater. While building material wastes are not likely to be incinerated in municipal incinerators because of the relatively high cost, vinyl can be incinerated in such facilities. Two concerns are often raised about incineration of many types of materials: the formation of dioxin and the generation of acid gases in incinerator exhausts. Independent research studies have confirmed that appropriate design and operation of an incinerator have the most significant impact on these concerns. Today's incinerators are regulated by government agencies to reduce air emissions. Adding or removing vinyl (typically a small fraction of total wastes) does not affect the generation of dioxin, while properly designed and operated systems will also neutralize a range of acid gases, including hydrogen chloride (HCl), which is generated when vinyl waste is incinerated.

For more information, please visit www.vinylinfo.org.