Re: stages of denial - lead

["Jon Campbell" <jon@cqs.com>]

  I am posting this note because the Bill Carroll's
  (from the Chlorine Chemical Council) is so outrageous
  that it boggled even my imagination. In essence, he
  belittled the possibility that PVC has any significant
  outgassing of VC monomer. Anyone who has purchased
  any new PVC item, especially items manufactured in
  China, knows and recognizes the characteristic odor
  of VC monomer. See Bill's note, below.
  
   Bill,
  
       I apologize in advance for making this private
  discussion public. You position here is so outrageous
  that I decided I needed to share it with others in
  dioxin-l, to show how a reasonable scientist such
  as yourself can apparently have his/her scientific
  sense and common sense clouded by non-scientific
  reasoning when there are multinational corporations
  involved.
  
      In response to your saying that VC monomer is
  not a significant contaminant in PVC:
  
       What in the world are you talking about?
  
       Just buy a new window shade or shower curtain,
  and stick your head into it when you take it out of
  the wrapper. The amount of VC monomer will
  likely make you sick to your stomach, if not faint.
  Or try blowing up a new PVC toy that has a nozzle,
  and see how it *tastes*.
  
       Which factories are you talking about?
  I'm talking about Chinese PVC, which is the source
  of PVC for most toys available in the US today.
  
       If PVC packaging material is so safe, why is
  is BANNED in several European countries (in
  Switzerland, Dow manufactures polyethylene
  wrap, and no Saran Wrap, for instance). Why
  isn't Coca-Cola using vinyl, rather than PETE,
  which is hellishly expensive compared to
  vinyl? Why are all the shampoo companies
  switching to HDPE and PETE?
  
      Would YOU heat up food in a microwave
  oven wrapped in (PVC/vinylidene) Saran Wrap???
  Would you take a chance on VC monomer or
  dioxin, caught in the polymer matrix, leaching
  into the food???
  
       Bill, I strongly suggest that you change jobs.
  Your present position is affecting your ability to
  think straight. Perhaps you've been exposed
  to too much VC monomer?
  (which is a powerful neurotoxin).
  
  Regards
  Jon
  
  -----Original Message-----
  From: DrBillC@aol.com <DrBillC@aol.com>
  To: jon@cqs.com <jon@cqs.com>
  Date: Wednesday, November 12, 1997 10:35 PM
  Subject: Re: stages of denial - lead
  
  
  
  Jon:
  
  Vinyl chloride is a liquid that boils at -13 degrees C.  The resin itself is
  stripped to 2 parts per million.  Flexible vinyl is processed at over 200
  degrees C.  How in the world do you imagine that you could smell vinyl
  chloride from a final product?
  
  The issue of vinyl chloride in bottles was settled about 1980.  Food grade
  bottle material is stripped to less than 10 ppb VCM in the resin, and was
  demonstrated in food simulant solvents not to leach detectable VCM into
  those
  simulants.
  
  The world changed about 1976 when VCM was found to be a carcinogen. Products
  and processes changed; curiously, those changes allowed for larger scale
  production, lower cost, and the 250% growth of the industry in the
  intervening years.
  
  Listen to Marco Kaltofen who is an activist, but also a competent engineer.
  He gently tried to point out to you that what you are saying is incorrect.
  
  Bill Carroll