Vinyl Chloride Causes Cancer

Cancer is a complex group of diseases with many possible causes.

Vinyl chloride causes cancer.

Vinyl chloride is used to make polyvinyl chloride pvc. Scelo g constantinescu v csiki i zaridze d et al. Vinyl chloride a chemical known to cause cancer poisons the air breathed by workers and people living in contaminated communities. Occupational exposure to vinyl chloride acrylonitrile and styrene and lung cancer risk europe.

In this section you can learn more about the known causes of cancer including genetic factors. Vinyl chloride is used primarily to make pvc a substance used in products such as pipes. They are also 5 times more likely to develop liver cancer hepatocellular carcinoma. Breathing vinyl chloride for long periods of time can result in permanent liver damage immune reactions nerve damage and liver cancer.

Since the 1930 s people have known about the severe damage the chemical could cause to peoples livers. Scand j work environ health. Scand j work environ health. The cancer is thought to be caused by exposure to vinyl chloride and other toxins.

Lifestyle factors such as tobacco use diet and physical activity. Vinyl chloride is an organochloride with the formula h 2 c chcl that is also called vinyl chloride monomer vcm or chloroethene this colorless compound is an important industrial chemical chiefly used to produce the polymer polyvinyl chloride pvc. Meta analysis of studies of occupational exposure to vinyl chloride in relation to cancer mortality. Centers for disease control and prevention cdc published an intensive study of the health dangers of a chemical plastics plant.

Over 40 years ago the u s. Later in the 1960s workers exposed to vinyl chloride presented different types of cancer. Occupational exposure to vinyl chloride acrylonitrile and styrene and lung cancer risk europe. Another study done in 1970 reported that test animals exposed to 30 000 ppm of vinyl chloride developed cancerous tumors.

The review determined vinyl chloride vc monomer was a causative agent of the deadly cancer angiosarcoma. Meta analysis of studies of occupational exposure to vinyl chloride in relation to cancer mortality. On average there is a 22 year delay between exposure and cancer. Vinyl chloride is known to cause cancer in humans especially a rare type of liver cancer called angiosarcoma.

Learn about vinyl chloride which can raise the risk of a rare form of liver cancer as well as brain and lung cancers and leukemia and lymphoma. Pvc workers are 45 times more likely to develop angiosarcoma. Certain types of infections. Exposure to vinyl chloride occurs mainly in the workplace.

About 13 billion kilograms are produced annually. Breathing high levels of vinyl chloride for short periods of time can cause dizziness sleepiness unconsciousness and at extremely high levels can cause death.