Presented BySherry Sandre th

Ph .D StudentWalden Univers i ty

Inst ructor : Dr. R aymond ThronPUBH 8165-3

Winter Quar ter 2009-2010

PVC use in the transport of drinking water

ObjectivesProvide an overview of PVC chemical make

up.

Discuss PVC life cycle and environmental impact.

Provide an overview of PVC use in construction.

Discuss current research findings regarding PVC.

Discuss safer alternatives to PVC.

What is PVC?

Polyvinyl chloride

Also known as ‘blue vinyl’

Lifecycle

Production

Use

Disposal

Thornton, J. 2002. Environmental impacts of polyvinyl chloride building materials – A Healthy Building Network report. Washington, DC: Healthy Building Network. Online: http://www.healthybuilding.net/pvc/Thornton_Enviro_ Impacts_of_PVC.pdf

Production Environmental HazardsChemicals

Byproducts

Production Vinyl Chloride

Chlorine Gas

Ethylene Dichloride (EDC)

Vinyl Chloride Monomer (VCM)

Thornton, J. 2002. Environmental impacts of polyvinyl chloride building materials – A Healthy Building Network report. Washington, DC: Healthy Building Network. Online: http://www.healthybuilding.net/pvc/Thornton_Enviro_ Impacts_of_PVC.pdf

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). 2006. Landfill gas primer an overview for environmental health professionals. Atlanta, GA: Public Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Online:

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tf.asp?id=281&tid=51

Did you know?VCM effects on

Breathing

Skin Contact

Children

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). 2006. Landfill gas primer an overview for environmental health professionals. Atlanta, GA: Public Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Online:

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tf.asp?id=281&tid=51

Production Mercury Used in manufacturing chlorine gas

Estimated to reach 1,000 tons by 2010

PVC is estimated to be the second largest user of mercury globally

Bailey, M. 2007. “Global sources of mercury pollution: What they are and what we can do.” Powerpoint presentation. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Office of International Affairs. Online: http://www.ecos.org/files/2760_file_Global_Mercury_presentation_for_ECOS_4_07.ppt

Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ), PVC-Free Guide for your Family & Home. Retrieved on January 18, 2010 from http://www.besafenet.com/pvc/documents/PVC-Guide-1.pdf

National Academy of Sciences (NAS). 2000. Toxicological effects of Methylmercury. Committee on the Toxicological Effects of Methylmercury, Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology, Commission on Life

Sciences National Research Council, Washington, DC

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). 2006. NRDC submission to United Nations Environment Programme in response to March 2006 request for information on mercury supply, demand and trade. Online: http://www. zeromercury.org/UNEP_developments/060516UNEPTRADESUBMISSIONMAY2006.pdf

Production Byproducts

Dioxins

Forms accidently

Highly toxic

Bioaccumulation

Thornton, J. 2002. Environmental impacts of polyvinyl chloride building materials – A Healthy Building Network report. Washington, DC: Healthy Building Network. Online: http://www.healthybuilding.net/pvc/Thornton_Enviro_Impacts_of_PVC.pdf

Production Stabilizers

Cadmium

Phthalates

Lead

Thornton, J. 2002. Environmental impacts of polyvinyl chloride building materials – A Healthy Building Network report. Washington, DC: Healthy Building Network. Online: http://www.healthybuilding.net/pvc/Thornton_Enviro_Impacts_of_PVC.pdf

During use

Off gassing

Leaching

Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ), PVC-Free Guide for your Family & Home. Retrieved on January 18, 2010 from http://www.besafenet.com/pvc/documents/PVC-Guide-1.pdf

ReusePVC cannot be recycled

When heated

hydrogen chloride

Hydrochloric Acid

Blue Vinyl, The Lifecycle of Vinyl: Past, Present and Future Harm, 2002. Retrieved on January, 18, 2010 from http://www.bluevinyl.org/PVC.pdf

Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission, nd. Retrieved on January 25, 2010 from http://www.tjpdc.org/housing/Green_Building_sourcebook/greenBuilding_Siding.asp

DisposalIncineration

Ash carries through wind currents and falls on land, animals and water sources.

EPA estimates 1,000 grams of dioxins and furans may be released into the air each year from landfill fires resulting in the largest source of dioxins in the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency, 2002. Retrieved on January 20, 2010 from http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/fa-225.pdf

PVC used in ….Health careBuilding materialsChildren’s toysShower curtainsOffice supplies Packaging

Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ), PVC-Free Guide for your Family & Home. Retrieved on January 18, 2010 from http://www.besafenet.com/pvc/documents/PVC-Guide-1.pdf

Attributes Inexpensive

Readily available

Easy to work with

Going Green: A Resource Kit for Pollution Prevention in Health Care, 2006. Retrieved on January 3, 2010 from http://www.healthybuilding.net/healthcare/Why-Health-Care-is-Moving.pdf

PVC in construction

Wide spread use

Lack of federal regulation

Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ), PVC-Free Guide for your Family & Home. Retrieved on January 18, 2010 from http://www.besafenet.com/pvc/documents/PVC-Guide-1.pdf

M. Raynaud, Proceedings Plastics Pipes XII, Milan, Italy April 19-22, 2004. Retrieved on January 18, 2010 from http://www.plasticstrends.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=7&Itemid=33

Lead in Drinking Water

Lead leaches from brass and chrome-plated brass fixtures and solder used on copper pipes that corrode.

Even lead –free fixtures ‘can contain up to 8% lead’

Environmental Protection Agency, Consumer Factsheet on Lead in Drinking Water, (2006) Retrieved on January 18, 2010 from http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead/

PVC research Toxic chemicals found in PVC pipes compared to other alternatives

Metal ions Lead Monomethyltin (MMT) Dimethylthin (DMT) Monobutyltin (MBT) Dibutyltin (DBT)

J. S., Y. (2008). Chloramine Complexities. Science, 320(5876), 586. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.

Mundy, W., & Freudenrich, T. (2006). Apoptosis of cerebellar granule cells induced by organotin compounds found in drinking water: Involvement of MAP kinases. NeuroToxicology, 27(1), 71-81. doi:10.1016/j.neuro.2005.07.007.

Lead, Iron & Zinc‘PVC pipes are the most lead releasing pipes while

PP (polypropylene) are the least releasing’

PVC pipes can cause a higher metal leaching of zinc and lead from brass faucets.

Lasheen, M., Sharaby, C., El-Kholy, N., Elsherif, I., & El-Wakeel, S. (2008). Factors influencing lead and iron release from some Egyptian drinking water pipes. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 160(2/3), 675-680. doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2008.03.040.

Science Dalily, Lead Leaching And Faucet Corrosion In PVC Home Plumbing, (2008). Retrieved on January 18, 2010 from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080602091241.htm

Dibutyltin (DBT)

‘humans are exposed to DBT by direct uptake from drinking water due to leaching from PVC water distribution pipes.’

Gumy, C., Chandsawangbhuwana, C., Dzyakanchuk, A., Kratschmar, D., Baker, M., & Odermatt, A. (2008). Dibutyltin disrupts glucocorticoid receptor function and impairs glucocorticoid-induced suppression of cytokine production. Plos One, 3(10), e3545. Retrieved from MEDLINE with Full Text database.

PVC and bacteriaPVC can harbor bacteria even in

chlorinated water

Silbaq, F. (2009). Viable ultramicrocells in drinking water. Journal Of Applied Microbiology, 106(1), 106-117. Retrieved from MEDLINE with Full Text database.

Vess, R., Anderson, R., Carr, J., Bond, W., & Favero, M. (1993). The colonization of solid PVC surfaces and the acquisition of resistance to germicides by water micro-organisms. The Journal Of Applied Bacteriology, 74(2), 215-221. Retrieved from MEDLINE with Full Text database.

Current legislation

PVC piping for water supply is still allowed per Oregon building codes

Oregon state plumbing codes, 2010. Retrieved on January 18, 2010 from http://www.cbs.state.or.us/external/bcd/programs/mdprogram/MH/Chapter_7.pdf

Dioxin Phase OutGlobal per Stockholm Convention

Great Lakes through the U.S. and Candian Great Lakes Binational Toxics Strategy

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). 2000. Final report: UNEP/POPS/INC.4/5—Report of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for an international legally binding instrument for implementing

international action on certain persistent organic pollutants on the work of its fourth session. Geneva: Bonn, 20–25 March.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). 1995. Air emissions from municipal solid waste landfills – Background information for final standards and guidelines, final EIS. Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, EPA-453/R-94-

021. Research Triangle Park, NC, December.

Thornton, J. 2002. Environmental impacts of polyvinyl chloride building materials – A Healthy Building Network report. Washington, DC: Healthy Building Network. Online: http://www.healthybuilding.net/pvc/Thornton_Enviro_ Impacts_of_PVC.pdf

PVC Phase out

City of San Francisco (banned in water piping)New York State (banned in water piping)EPA headquarters in Washington DCUS Navy & Air ForceNASA

Clean Water Pipe Council, nd. Retrieved on January 15, 2010 from http://www.cleanwaterpipecouncil.org/#jump4

Alternatives

Ductile ironHigh-density polyethylene (HDPE)Concrete CopperPolyethylene (PEX)

Clean Water Pipe Council, nd. Retrieved on January 15, 2010 from http://www.cleanwaterpipecouncil.org/#jump4

Costs

Alternative options

Retrofitting

New construction

Public Awareness

Community involvement General public Contractors Home building supply companies Water supply companies Building code representatives Specialist in the field

Question & Answers