Just a thought. I know it's fun to bash chemical companies, but we can't live in a world limited to wood, metal and glass. You just can't, not if you want a modern society. (And a computer).

PVC wasn't invesnted in some evil plot to kill people -- it is used because it works. Until someone comes up with a viable alternative such things will continue to be a problem.

And for the record, you could chew on PVC all day and it won't do anything to you, unless you dissolve it and swallow it. Human saliva isn't strong enough to do that. Maybe a camel's is. More importantly, its chemical stability is quite strong-- if you ate a hunk only a very, very small amount would dissolve in your stomach. If you dont' believe me look at your drains made of PVC-- they don't develop leaks when you pour down draino. The stuff is immune to many acids.

The stuff is persistent and unrecyclable, which is the real problem.

As for being linked to cancer and birth defects, before we jump to any conclusions there are a few things one should remember:

1. Any carcinogen tends to cause the same kind of cancer. That is, cigarettes are linked to lung cancer, not brain cancer. ancer clusters are usually only considered valid when the same kind of cancer showsd up in a large population that shouldn't get it, all other things being equal. So a lot of 20-year-olds with testicular cancer living in the same building is suspect, whereas a dozen people with a dozen different cancers is not.

2. "Linked to birth defects" -- boy do I love that one. It is meaningless as a statement (as a former science guy Evan you ought to know better). In what way? As a pollutant or ingested chemical? How was that evaluation done? Was it linked in a way people are likely to encounter in the "wild?" How strong is that "link? "

3. Lots of things in the house give off toxic fumes. Like your stove. When you turn it on you are filling the room with carbon monoxide. And those scented candles... Not to justify breathing the stuff. but lets keep a little perspective.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]