Beginning of the end?

bob_46

the begining of the end of a series loop?

Rich Kontny_3

Beginning of the end???

Has PVC ran into a brick wall??? After about 30 years of extensive use it seems like PVC (and other vinyl products) may be the next asbestos.

An article in the "Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel" yesterday stated that Sears/K-Mart is joining Wal-Mart by looking to eliminate PVC products within two years.

Seems that PVC contains plastizers called phthalates. Phthalates are linked to early puberty in females, male impaired sperm quality and genital defects that even Viagra won't overcome.

This apparently started to surface in the mid 90's and has been addressed in Europe and California with bans. I have read articles about pvc leeching toxic vapors but kind of dismissed that. This latest news seems to verify the alarmists warnings. Or has the asbestos and black mold threats bottomed out to the point of legal attacks against PVC?

Just had a webinar about ABS being the only plastic allowed in California.Could this be the tip of another liability iceberg???

Just when we thought we had all the answers.......


Rich K.

ALH_4

PVC

Burning PVC creates dioxin, which is an extremely hazardous carcinogen that is very difficult to clean up and does not readily degrade. Oil from electrical transformers, when burned, creates dioxin. Apparently this was a common way to dispose of this oil at one time.

I have heard that drinking water shouldn't be contained in PVC bottles. So I take it from miles of underground PVC water mains and put it in a polyethylene bottle to avoid the chemicals? That doesnt make much sense.

One piece of PVC can contaminate an entire batch of polyethylene at the recycling plant.

I have also heard that polycarbonate drinking water bottles, most Nalgene bottles, can leach some sort of chemical that works like a hormone into the water, particularly if washed in the dishwasher and stored at higher temperatures. I'm not sure this has been completely proven.

Unknown

Where's Perry on this?

Where's Perry on this subject? I missed his level headed with just about anything from nuclear to twinke cooking...

Cosmo_3

Ok, after reading about pex eating bacteria, now this.

Can you link the webinair?

Yikes, I have grown up around PVC....if this is a joke, sperm's no laughing matter dude.


Cosmo

Rich Kontny_5

Article

Just go to: JSonline.com When it comes up it will have an article search on top. Just type in Sears and hit search. It should pull up an article about Sears and K-Mart regarding PVC. As far as the webinar goes I cannot get into that as it is a wholesaler/distributor registered site with copyrighted articles.

I am thinking that this is probaly a little more accurate and important than the "Chuck Norris Facts" (could be wrong though!)

Rich K.

Plumdog_2

K-Mart sucks

Dustin Hoffman as "Rainman"

Rich Kontny_5

Gentlemen,

Denial is not a river in Egypt! The ostrich approach tends to leave certain vitals exposed. Please explain that K-Mart remark, they are just responding to an issue that could expose them to liability.

I have spent at least 30 years around pvc products thinking the glue and cleaner were nasty, now I wonder about the dust from cutting that we inhale. At 56 the sperm problem really is not an issue (we have five great kids). This is all about products such as asbestos, lead,and others that were used extensively until people started having mysterious symptoms.

I am old enough to have witnessed cancer deaths related to asbestos exposure, lead poisoning and the swelling of hands and joints. These happened to older tradesmen I worked side by side with and eventually I attended there funerals.

This pvc and vinyl issue is just another case of trial and error in favor of trial (if it is profitable). Think of all the vinyl siding,vinyl products in toys etc.

I will leave you with this "a child chewing on a pvc(or vinyl) toy is like giving them a toxic lollipop" this not for verbatim quote came from the article.

Make peace our passion while supporting our troops.

Rich K.

Plumdog_2

No Denial or Head in the Sand

The K-Mart remark was a lame quip; I always thought it was funny when Dustin Hoffman said it in the movie; and I don't recall him ever getting sued for it. I also have been around PVC plastics for a long time (1972) and can recall a time when it was temporarily banned for use in residential plumbing because of the toxic fume fire hazard that it posed. All sorts of environmental concerns are coming to light about all sorts of plastics; and frankly I am glad, because I never have liked plastic in general. To me it is a cheaper way to make stuff, a short cut to faster production, and results in products that are short-lived and disposable; and toxic to boot.
Anyone remember "The Graduate"? Dustin Hoffman was in that one, too. The father in law said to him "there is a great future in plastics".
There was a time when quality meant metal or wood, and plastic was condemned as junk. Wait until the Potable Pex that is so beloved in our industry is proven to be toxic; then what?

Unknown

Just think

of what the price of copper will be now. Its amazing what a good salesman or lobbyist can do.

I always found it absolutely crazy that 2 inch steel wells are all but outlawed and 5" plastic is the norm. Did you ever hear of a steel well that had bacteria issues? Yet the plastic wells will promote bacteria growth at an alarming rate.

[Deleted User]

in the middle...

Right there, next to the beginning :-)

ME