Brain Cancer and Vinyl Chloride


Brain Cancer and Vinyl Chloride?
Vinyl chloride is a colorless gas. Vinyl chloride is not stable at very high temperature and burns very easily. It does not occur naturally it is a manufactured substance. Vinyl chloride is use to prepare polyvinyl chloride (PVC). PVC is a know substance which is used to make plastic products such as pipes, wires and cable coatings.

Vinyl chloride is also called as ethylene monochloride, chloroethene and chloroethylene.

Further studies have shown that Vinyl chloride is known carcinogen and who have breathed Vinyl chloride over many years have an increased risk of brain cancer, lung cancer and other cancer related to blood. 

How and where are people exposed to Vinyl Chloride?

Breathing Vinyl chloride that has been released from various waste sites, plastics industries and landfills and also drinking water from contaminated wells is the main cause of people being exposed to Vinyl chloride.

Products with Vinyl Chloride?

Vinyl chloride is primarily used in polyvinyl chloride products; one of the most environmental hazardous consumer materials ever produced and is very dangerous to human health through out its entire life cycle of production.

Polyvinyl chloride has been used to manufacture wide range of plastic and vinyl products such as pipes, wire and cable coatings and other packaging materials. However, the small amount vinyl is found in furniture, wall coverings housewares and automotive parts.
 
Industries where employees may be exposed to vinyl chloride:

The people that are most likely to be exposed to vinyl chloride are those involved in industries that use it. The most likely employees those who work in the following industries:

• Furniture
• Construction
• Rubber manufacturing
• Resins manufacturing
• Plastics manufacturing
• Automobile
• PVC (polyvinyl chloride) manufacturing

PVC Workers – Workers that are involved in the production of polyvinyl chloride such as flooring and piping were exposed to vinyl chloride; in many cases they were not given the protective gear that is necessary to work with such material.

Loading and Transportation Workers – Workers that are extensively involved in loading and transportation of vinyl chloride are regularly exposed vinylchloride.

Beauticians and Barber - Vinyl chloride was used as a propellant in aerosol cans of hairspray. Thus,

Beauticians and Barber were often exposed to vinylchloride.

Risk of exposure to Vinyl Chloride?
There are serious health affects when exposed to vinyl chloride. Short-term exposure to vinyl chloride causes headache, vertigo and loss of consciousness, and fatigue. And the possible Long-Term exposure to vinyl chloride can have a numerous health problems listed as follows:

• Liver cancer
• Lung cancer
• Brain cancer
• Damage to the nervous system
• Damage to the reproductive system
• Skin hardening

What to do if you were exposed to Vinyl Chloride?
When people are exposed to vinyl chloride they should visit a doctor and in turn doctor will ask your state health department for further investigation of the possible health affect. Your must take steps to limit your exposure to vinyl chloride which can help to reduce your chance of being infected with such dangerous gas.