New report raises questions about safety of using PVC plastic pipes for drinking water.
@PlasticsBeyond @PlasticPollutes @NRDC @AtBennington @HBNKnowBetter
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beyondplastics.org/publications/p…

The Biden administration and Congress is providing $15 billion to municipalities that need to replace #toxic lead service lines, yet the #EPA has not offered guidance around what piping materials should be used to prevent homes from swapping one problematic material for another.

@PlasticsBeyond today hosted a news conference around the report with a team of experts. @DrShannaSwan @Mike_Schade @enckj @amandakigerOH

As with all plastic products, #PVC plastic contains chemical additives, some of which are known to be #toxic to humans and many of which have yet to be tested for safety.

Just as the chemicals in food packaging can leach into food, the chemicals in #PVC pipes can leach into drinking water, including endocrine-disrupting chemicals that can harm children and developing fetuses at very low levels.

There are no existing drinking water standards that factor in the cumulative burden of exposure to these #chemical mixtures.

#Chemical leaching has also been found to vary by product formulation, and manufacturers are not required to disclose the #chemical ingredients of their pipes, nor report their #chemical release testing data.

The U.S. Plastics Pact — a group endorsed by companies that produce 33% of U.S. plastic packaging — has identified #PVC as a ‘problematic and unnecessary’ material and has made a voluntary commitment to stop using it in plastic packaging by 2025.

Vinyl chloride, the core chemical in #PVC, was designated a likely human carcinogen 49 years ago; more than 10 billion pounds are produced in a year.

Vinyl chloride exposure is linked to increased risk of liver, brain, and lung cancers, according to the National Institute of Health. The Consumer Product Safety Commission banned its use as an aerosol in consumer products, while the #FDA banned its use in cosmetics.

The production typically takes place in low-income communities and/or communities of color in Louisiana, Texas, and Appalachia.

The recent train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, is a vivid example of the threat that #PVC and its essential ingredient, vinyl chloride, poses to Americans, though this #toxic chemical has been impacting human health for decades.

@PlasticsBeyond recently released a video providing a unique first-hand look at what it's been like for East Palestine residents to have their lives suddenly upended in such an unexpected way.
ehn.org/east-palestine…

Cost of alternatives vs. plastic: although these materials (copper, stainless steel) are slightly more expensive than #PVC plastic, the majority of the cost of lead service line replacement projects is from labor and digging up streets, not from the cost of the piping.

View the report here: beyondplastics.org/publications/p…