Vinyl Chloride Disease

Occupational safety health administration provides information about exposure limits to vinyl chloride.

Vinyl chloride disease.

There is no treatment for this disease. Each peer reviewed profile identifies and reviews the key literature that describes a hazardous substance s toxicologic properties. Other pertinent literature is also presented but is described in less detail than the key studies. Vinyl chloride is used to make polyvinyl chloride pvc.

Portal hypertension liver fibrosis and angiosarcoma of the liver asl have been reported among workers exposed to vinyl chloride monomer vcm since the 1970s. 27 and in 88 i e. Loss of visual acuity occurs very rapidly and is accompanied by ascending paralysis. The atsdr toxicological profile succinctly characterizes the toxicologic and adverse health effects information for the hazardous substance described here.

Vinyl chloride has a mild sweet odor which may become noticeable at 3 000 parts vinyl chloride per million parts ppm of air. Vinyl chloride exposure is associated with an increased risk of a rare form of liver cancer hepatic angiosarcoma as well as brain and lung cancers lymphoma and leukemia. Shipped as a liquefied compressed gas. According to the united states environmental protection agency epa vinyl chloride emissions from polyvinyl chloride pvc ethylene dichloride edc and vinyl chloride monomer vcm plants cause or contribute to air pollution that may reasonably be anticipated to result in an increase in mortality or an increase in serious irreversible or incapacitating reversible illness.

29 were free of complaints and nervous disturbances. Vinyl chloride is a known human carcinogen that causes a rare cancer of the liver. Most people begin to taste vinyl chloride in water at 3 4 ppm. Devic s disease a demyelinative disease of the optic nerve the optic chiasma and the spinal cord characterized by a bilateral acute optic neuritis with a transverse inflammation of the spinal cord.

An astheno autonomic syndrome was found in 54 i e. Exposed to vinyl chloride for 1 to 25 yr mean 14 58 i e. 44 in combination with positive neurological findings i e. Pyramidal syndromes in 52 cerebellar disturbances in 38.

Vinyl chloride a chemical known to cause cancer poisons the air breathed by workers and people living in contaminated communities. However the odor is of little value in preventing excess exposure. Chloroethene chloroethylene ethylene monochloride monochloroethene monochloroethylene vc vcm vinyl chloride monomer vcm colorless gas or liquid below 7 f with a pleasant odor at high concentrations.