Vinyl chloride and cancer
Vinyl chloride is a colorless, toxic gas with a sweet odor, primarily used in the production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a widely utilized plastic in various products. It has been recognized as a known human carcinogen since 1980, with strong associations to several types of cancer, including liver, brain, lung cancers, and blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma. Exposure can occur through inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact, particularly for individuals working in industries related to its production or use. The health effects of vinyl chloride exposure range from short-term symptoms like dizziness and sleepiness to long-term consequences, including severe liver damage and a heightened risk of various cancers.
Historically, awareness of vinyl chloride's dangers increased significantly after a major chemical leak in East Palestine, Ohio, in 2023, which sparked concerns over environmental and public health impacts. Although residents were initially deemed safe post-incident, ongoing discussions about vinyl chloride's long-term effects continue to resonate, highlighting the significant risks associated with this chemical. As vinyl chloride remains prevalent in various consumer products, understanding its potential health risks is crucial for both industry workers and the general public.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Vinyl chloride and cancer
ROC STATUS: Known human carcinogen since 1980
ALSO KNOWN AS: Chloroethene, chloroethylene, ethylene monochloride
RELATED CANCERS: Liver cancer, brain cancer, lung cancer, blood cancers, leukemia, and lymphoma
DEFINITION: Vinyl chloride is a toxic, colorless, combustible gas that has a sweet odor.
Exposure routes: For the general public, exposure to vinyl chloride occurs through inhalation of contaminated air, ingestion of contaminated foods and drinking water, or skin contact with consumer products containing vinyl chloride. Occupational exposure occurs by inhalation or skin contact during the production or use of vinyl chloride.
Where found: The National Toxicology Program has reported that more than 95 percent of all vinyl chloride is used to manufacture polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and copolymers. The rest is used in organic synthesis and miscellaneous applications. PVC, a plastic resin, is used in myriad applications, including pipes, automotive parts, furniture, electrical insulation, videodiscs, flooring, windows, toys, wrapping plastic, medical supplies, credit cards, and storage containers.
At risk: People who work where vinyl chloride is produced; where plastics, rubber, resins, PVC, furniture, or automotive parts are manufactured; or around railroad cars that carry vinyl chloride have a high risk for vinyl chloride contamination. People who live near industries that manufacture or use vinyl chloride in their products or who live near hazardous waste sites or landfills also risk exposure to vinyl chloride. Between 1958 and 1974, hair sprays contained vinyl chloride, exposing beauty salon workers and hair spray users.
ETIOLOGY AND SYMPTOMS OF ASSOCIATED CANCERS: Breathing high levels of vinyl chloride for short periods of time can cause dizziness, sleepiness, and unconsciousness. Extremely high levels over short periods of time can result in death. Breathing vinyl chloride over long periods of time can decrease blood flow to the hands, making hand bones brittle, and can produce permanent liver damage, nerve damage, immune reactions, and liver cancer. Exposure of the skin to vinyl chloride can produce numbness, redness, and blisters. Dioxins produced as by-products of vinyl chloride production and from burning waste PVC can suppress the immune system and cause a variety of cancers and endometriosis. While studies on possible links between vinyl chloride exposure and brain and lung cancers, leukemia, and lymphoma once produced conflicting results, in the 2020s, it is apparent vinyl chloride is highly carcinogenic.
History: Vinyl chloride has existed since at least the early part of the nineteenth century. It was first produced commercially in the 1920s. In the late 1960s, vinyl chloride was linked to liver cancer. It later became one of the highest-volume chemicals produced in the United States. Approximately 15 billion pounds of vinyl chloride were manufactured annually in the United States during the mid-1990s, and the US remained a major producer of the compound throughout the first decades of the twenty-first century. In 2020, the United States was the world's leading exporter of vinyl chloride and exported about 1.2 metric tons of vinyl chloride that year. Although, by 2023, Japan had become the world's largest exporter of vinyl chloride, the US remained close behind.
Although the risks of vinyl chloride and its links to several cancers are well-documented, the substance remained ubiquitous in the 2020s. However, vinyl chloride genuinely entered public discourse in 2023. On February 3, 2023, dozens of cars from a freight train owned by shipping company Norfolk Southern derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. The train had been carrying several hazardous materials, including large amounts of vinyl chloride, and the derailment triggered a massive chemical leak, forcing nearby residents to evacuate. A number of the derailed cars also exploded and caught fire. Emergency responders later conducted a controlled burn of other derailed cars to prevent further explosions. In addition to the toxic gases released by the spill, explosions, and fire, several chemicals also soaked into the soil. Despite the scale of the disaster, most East Palestine residents were allowed to return to their homes on February 8. They were told that, after extensive decontamination and testing, the levels of vinyl chloride and other chemicals were not harmful to humans. However, scientists and public health officials remained concerned about the long-term environmental impact of the spill, which they estimated had already killed tens of thousands of fish, amphibians, and other aquatic animals in a five-mile radius around the crash site by the end of February. The East Palestine train derailment and subsequent chemical disaster renewed attention toward the risk vinyl chloride exposure poses to human health.
Bibliography
Abou-Sabe, Kenzi, and Denise Chow. "Ohio Derailment: What Chemicals Spilled and How Could They Affect Residents?" NBC News, www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/ohio-derailment-chemicals-spilled-impact-residents-rcna71561. Accessed 15 Mar. 2023.
International Agency for Research on Cancer. Chemical Agents and Related Occupations. Vol. 100-F. Lyon: International Agency for Research on Cancer, 2012.
United States. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Toxicology Program. Thirteenth Report on Carcinogens. Research Triangle Park: Dept. of Health and Human Services, 2014.
“Vinyl Chloride - Cancer-Causing Substances.” National Cancer Institute, 13 June 2024, www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/vinyl-chloride. Accessed 18 June 2024.
"Vinyl Chloride: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions." Ohio Department of Health, 7 Feb. 2023, odh.ohio.gov/wps/wcm/connect/gov/ff9d920b-59ae-43b0-a47e-5ec0ddc4606d/vinyl-chloride‗20171211.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CONVERT‗TO=url&CACHEID=ROOTWORKSPACE.Z18‗M1HGGIK0N0JO00QO9DDDDM3000-ff9d920b-59ae-43b0-a47e-5ec0ddc4606d-mjHEm97. Accessed 15 Mar. 2023.
"Vinyl Chloride Export Value by Country." Statista, 1 Aug. 2023, www.statista.com/statistics/1296233/global-vinyl-chloride-export-value-by-country. Accessed 18 June 2024.