Polyvinyl Chloride is used in producing a myriad of consumer products such as shower curtains, plastic table cloths, childrens' toys.
As early as 1960, vinyl chloride monomer has been linked to cancer when workers in a B.F. Goodrich plant were diagnosed with liver angiosarcoma. The International Agency for Research on Cancer confirmed the link between angioscarcoma of the liver and long term exposure to vinyl chloride.
Greenpeace has lobbied for the worldwide phase-out of PVC because they claim dioxin is produced as a byproduct of vinyl chloride manufacture and from burning domestic garbage. Dioxins are a highly toxic substance that can cause cancer even with very low levels of exposure.
Huge amounts of dioxins are released into the environment every day from the incineration of garbage, and nearby communities find cancer clusters appearing near these sites.
Once a PVC product has been created, there is no safe way to dispose of it. Burning it releases toxic dioxin, burying it allows the chemicals to leach into surrounding soil and groundwater, and it can't be recycled.
