Dangers of PVC and our pets
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
Why is PVC considered a bad plastic?
Polyvinyl Chloride / PVC / Vinyl, is almost everywhere we look, it is toxic in countless ways, yet it it is still not banned worldwide.
Manufacturing
The manufacturing of PVC creates in large quantities, Chlorine, a toxic chemical that is near impossible to dispose of.
Disposal
When PVC is burned (incinerators, fireplaces, landfills, it emits dioxin, a very toxic carcinogen. One ounce of PVC will contaminate the recycling of #1 plactic products.
Health Risks of Products
The production of PVC commonly has different chemicals added to harden, soften and stabilize the plastic. Some of the known toxic chemicals are:
Phylates
Phylates are very common in PVC and are carcinogens. Because these Phthalates do not bind to the PVC, they leach out in the form of vapor, dust and particles when ingested are highly toxic. Phthalates are used in some but not all PVC formulations, and there are no specific labeling requirements for phthalates.
List of Phylates
| Name | Acronym | Structural formula | CAS No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimethyl phthalate | DMP | C6H4(COOCH3)2 | 131-11-3 |
| Diethyl phthalate | DEP | C6H4(COOC2H5)2 | 84-66-2 |
| Diallyl phthalate | DAP | C6H4(COOCH2CH=CH2)2 | 131-17-9 |
| Di-n-propyl phthalate | DPP | C6H4[COO(CH2)2CH3]2 | 131-16-8 |
| Di-n-butyl phthalate | DBP | C6H4[COO(CH2)3CH3]2 | 84-74-2 |
| Diisobutyl phthalate | DIBP | C6H4[COOCH2CH(CH3)2]2 | 84-69-5 |
| Butyl cyclohexyl phthalate | BCP | CH3(CH2)3OOCC6H4COOC6H11 | 84-64-0 |
| Di-n-pentyl phthalate | DNPP | C6H4[COO(CH2)4CH3]2 | 131-18-0 |
| Dicyclohexyl phthalate | DCP | C6H4[COOC6H11]2 | 84-61-7 |
| Butyl benzyl phthalate | BBP | CH3(CH2)3OOCC6H4COOCH2C6H5 | 85-68-7 |
| Di-n-hexyl phthalate | DNHP | C6H4[COO(CH2)5CH3]2 | 84-75-3 |
| Diisohexyl phthalate | DIHxP | C6H4[COO(CH2)3CH(CH3)2]2 | 146-50-9 |
| Diisoheptyl phthalate | DIHpP | C6H4[COO(CH2)4CH(CH3)2]2 | 41451-28-9 |
| Butyl decyl phthalate | BDP | CH3(CH2)3OOCC6H4COO(CH2)9CH3 | 89-19-0 |
| Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate | DEHP, DOP | C6H4[COOCH2CH(C2H5)(CH2)3CH3]2 | 117-81-7 |
| Di(n-octyl) phthalate | DNOP | C6H4[COO(CH2)7CH3]2 | 117-84-0 |
| Diisooctyl phthalate | DIOP | C6H4[COO(CH2)5CH(CH3)2]2 | 27554-26-3 |
| n-Octyl n-decyl phthalate | ODP | CH3(CH2)7OOCC6H4COO(CH2)9CH3 | 119-07-3 |
| Diisononyl phthalate | DINP | C6H4[COO(CH2)6CH(CH3)2]2 | 28553-12-0 |
| Di(2-Propyl Heptyl) phthalate | DPHP | C6H4[COOCH2CH(CH2CH2CH3)(CH2)4CH3]2 | 53306-54-0 |
| Diisodecyl phthalate | DIDP | C6H4[COO(CH2)7CH(CH3)2]2 | 26761-40-0 |
| Diundecyl phthalate | DUP | C6H4[COO(CH2)10CH3]2 | 3648-20-2 |
| Diisoundecyl phthalate | DIUP | C6H4[COO(CH2)8CH(CH3)2]2 | 85507-79-5 |
| Ditridecyl phthalate | DTDP | C6H4[COO(CH2)12CH3]2 | 119-06-2 |
| Diisotridecyl phthalate | DIUP | C6H4[COO(CH2)10CH(CH3)2]2 | 68515-47-9 |
Table from wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phthalate
Choose plastics with the recycling code 1, 2 or 5. Recycling codes 3 and 7 are more likely to contain bisphenol A or phthalates.