Vinyl Chloride Health Risks
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Health Effects of Vinyl Chloride Contact with vinyl chloride can have serious
health consequences. Their severity depends upon both the level
and the length of exposure. Short-term exposure to moderate levels
of vinyl chloride in the air can result in headache, vertigo,
loss of consciousness, and fatigue. Nervous system damage is
also possible. Breathing high levels of vinyl chloride can cause
you to feel dizzy or sleepy. Exposure to an excessive amount
of vinyl chloride can be deadly. Breathing very high levels can
cause you to pass out, and breathing extremely high levels can
cause death. As a toxic chemical vinyl chloride can also cause long lasting and chronic conditions. Aside from being a known carcinogen, vinyl chloride has been found to cause a number of other conditions, including Raynaud's syndrome, scleroderma, angiosarcoma, and acroosteolysis. Raynaud's syndrome compromises the blood flow to the fingers and toes. The reduced circulation can cause pain, numbness, and impaired function, especially in cold temperatures. Scleroderma is a condition in which the skin, most frequently on the hands, hardens and thickens. Acroosteolysis is a condition in which the bones (especially in the fingers) deteriorate. Angiosarcoma of the liver, a rare form of liver cancer, begins with the formation of a cancerous tumor in the blood vessels of the liver. In addition, vinyl chloride represents the only established cause of cancerous brain tumors. Researchers have also linked leukemia, a cancer that affects the blood and blood-forming organs, to vinyl chloride exposure. Other cancers linked to vinyl chloride include lung cancer, and stomach or intestinal cancer. In addition, the nervous, circulatory and reproductive systems can suffer harm as a result of exposure to vinyl chloride. In general, those exposed to high levels of vinyl chloride or those exposed over a long period of time are at the highest risk for these and other health effects. Most of the studies on long-term exposure
(365 days or longer) to vinyl chloride concern workers that make
or use vinyl chloride. The study subjects suffered exposure to
much higher levels of vinyl chloride in the air than the general
population. Animal studies have shown that long-term exposure
to vinyl chloride can damage the sperm and testes. It has not
been proven that vinyl chloride causes birth defects in humans,
but animal studies have shown that breathing vinyl chloride can
harm unborn offspring and may also cause increases in early miscarriages. |