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The Great Vinyl Debate
Thu 03 Sep 2009 - 09:52
The Great Vinyl Debate
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Ky_Cheah]Ky Cheah
Polyvinyl chloride (or PVC), what most people call vinyl, is the most widely used plastic in the building industry today and is the primary ingredient in most resilient flooring products. But due to potential health concerns, vinyl is also one of the most hotly contested materials in the international building community.
So what's wrong with vinyl? It depends on who you ask. Vinyl producers and manufacturers assert that PVC is safe to work with and to have in your home, and they often point to vinyl's durability when comparing it to other materials: The less frequently something has to be replaced, the better it is for the environment.
Opponents of PVC production are most concerned with the "life cycle" of vinyl, which takes into account the production, usable life, and destruction of a material. Although PVC manufacturing has cleaned up considerably in recent decades, sources including the U.S. EPA have reported that vinyl production emits significant levels of pollutants, particularly vinyl chloride. Others claim that certain processes in PVC production emit dioxin, a potent toxin linked to cancer in humans and a range of ecological effects.
Flexible PVC products, such as resilient flooring, shower curtains, and wall coverings, are made flexible with the addition of plasticizers, including DEHP, a suspected carcinogen and possible endocrine disruptor.
If all of this seems a little vague to you, it's because the jury is still out on the overall effects of PVC. An extensive study of PVC by the USGBC is underway. To learn more about both sides of the vinyl debate, you can contact The U.S. Green Building Council for more information.
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ky_Cheah http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Great-Vinyl-Debate&id=2854695
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