Results from a two-phase study released June 12 by the Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ) show that shower curtains made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic contain many harmful chemicals, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), phthalates and organotins. These shower curtains are potentially toxic to consumers’ health.
Vinyl shower curtains and liners release chemicals into the home that are most easily identified by that “new shower curtain smell” and are routinely sold at major retail outlets. Potential adverse health effects include respiratory irritation; central nervous system, liver and kidney damage; nausea; headaches; and loss of coordination.
Among the study’s key findings:
- 108 different volatile organic compounds were released from the shower curtain into the air over 28 days.
- After one week, 40 different VOCs were detected in the air; after two weeks, 16 VOCS; after three weeks, 11 VOCs; and after four weeks, 4 VOCs.
- The level of Total VOCs measured was more than 16 times greater than the recommended guidelines for indoor air quality established by the U.S. Green Building Council, violating these guidelines for seven days.
- Just one new PVC shower curtain will release Total VOCs that exceed the typical residential level for four days.
- The concentration of Total VOCs in the Wal-Mart–tested shower curtain was so high that the analytical equipment was saturated, and further testing had to be halted so that lab equipment would not be damaged.
- All five curtains tested in phase one contained the phthalates DEHP and DINP, chemicals banned in children’s toys in California, Washington and the European Union.
- This testing did not replicate temperature and humidity conditions typically found in a shower, which would likely increase the concentrations of volatile pollutants released from a PVC curtain into the air of a bathroom; concentrations of these chemicals are likely to be even greater during and after a shower than those reported in this study.
Across the nation, many consumer and environmental health organizations are joining CHEJ and other experts in calling for safeguards to prevent harm from exposure to PVC shower curtains.
Tune in tomorrow for Part 2 of this story.
Photo by Stacey Vaeth
[...] 100+ Chemicals Released Into Air from PVC Shower Curtains Sold at… Among the study’s key findings: 108 different volatile organic compounds were released from the shower curtain into the air over 28 days. [...]
[...] Yesterday, we told you about a new study that shows shower curtains made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic pose a variety of health hazards. Here’s a look at the state of PVC production today, courtesy of the Center for Health, Environment & Justice. PVC is the second-largest commodity plastic in global production, with nearly 15 billion pounds produced annually in the United States. Workers, consumers and those living in communities near where PVC is made, or ultimately discarded, are at risk of harm from the toxic chemicals it contains. Three chemicals are at the core of manufacturing: First, chlorine gas is used to produce ethylene dichloride (EDC). Second, the EDC is converted into vinyl chloride monomer (VCM). Finally, the VCM is converted into the PVC. VCM and EDC are extremely hazardous, with vinyl chloride causing a rare form of liver cancer that damages the liver and central nervous system. The EPA classifies vinyl chloride as a known human carcinogen. When PVC is manufactured by workers or burned when discarded, numerous dioxins are formed and released into the air and water. Dioxins are a highly toxic group of chemicals that build up in the food chain and can cause cancer, as well as harm the immune and reproductive systems. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that PVC releases can also cause eye, nose and throat irritation; headaches; loss of coordination; and nausea. Key symptoms associated with exposure include eye irritation, nose and throat discomfort, difficulty breathing, allergic skin reaction, headache, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, dizziness and nosebleeds. Phthalates have been linked to reproductive problems, including shorter pregnancy duration and sperm damage in males. [...]
[...] As reported over the last 2 days, shower curtains made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic pose a variety of health hazards. They release toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a problem that “raises serious questions about the risks PVC shower curtains pose to families, especially young children exposed to these vapors,” says study coauthor Stephen Lester, science director for the Center for Health, Environment & Justice. [...]
[...] Yesterday, we told you about a new study that shows shower curtains made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic pose a variety of health hazards. Here’s a look at the state of PVC production today, courtesy of the Center for Health, Environment & Justice. PVC is the second-largest commodity plastic in global production, with nearly 15 billion pounds produced annually in the United States. Workers, consumers and those living in communities near where PVC is made, or ultimately discarded, are at risk of harm from the toxic chemicals it contains. Three chemicals are at the core of manufacturing: First, chlorine gas is used to produce ethylene dichloride (EDC). Second, the EDC is converted into vinyl chloride monomer (VCM). Finally, the VCM is converted into the PVC. VCM and EDC are extremely hazardous, with vinyl chloride causing a rare form of liver cancer that damages the liver and central nervous system. The EPA classifies vinyl chloride as a known human carcinogen. When PVC is manufactured by workers or burned when discarded, numerous dioxins are formed and released into the air and water. Dioxins are a highly toxic group of chemicals that build up in the food chain and can cause cancer, as well as harm the immune and reproductive systems. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that PVC releases can also cause eye, nose and throat irritation; headaches; loss of coordination; and nausea. Key symptoms associated with exposure include eye irritation, nose and throat discomfort, difficulty breathing, allergic skin reaction, headache, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, dizziness and nosebleeds. Phthalates have been linked to reproductive problems, including shorter pregnancy duration and sperm damage in males. [...]
[...] As reported over the last 2 days, shower curtains made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic pose a variety of health hazards. They release toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a problem that “raises serious questions about the risks PVC shower curtains pose to families, especially young children exposed to these vapors,” says study coauthor Stephen Lester, science director for the Center for Health, Environment & Justice. [...]
HAHA Adding this to my bookmarks. Thank You ^_^
[...] 100+ Chemicals Released Into Air from PVC Shower Curtains Sold at Major Retail Outlets [...]