Angiosarcoma of the Liver
ASL
BF Goodrich Plant
Louisville, Kentucky
1926 BF Goodrich Starts Production of
Vinyl Chloride Monomer (VCM)
Invented by Waldo Semon in 1926
at the BF Goodrich Plant
Melinda Stotts / news@grovesun.com tangram.co,uk TI-Glazing-Pinking
VCM=PVC=Most Popular Plastic in the
World
Consumer, my/pvc-plastic-products-outgas-poisons/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MU85aQbHg9I
VCM is a Chemical Part to Make PVC Plastic
1926 BF Goodrich
accidentally
invented Vinyl
Chloride Monomer 1961 VCM=Chronic January 1968
(VCM) toxicity in animals death of 1st case
1959 DOW told BF September 1967
Goodrich VCM 1st case of
caused chemical Angiosarcoma of
toxicity in rabbits the Liver (ASL)
documented at the
BF Goodrich Plant
From Diagnosis to Death < 2 Years
Sept. 27, 1971
May 1970 2nd case of death of 2nd case March 1973
ASL documented death of 3rd case
May 1971 March 1973 3rd
increased tumors case of ASL
in rats exposed to documented
VCM
concentrations of
<500ppm
ASL very rare <25 cases a year in the US
Physicians and CDC officer step in
Late 1973-early 1974 BF April 1975
Goodrich plants OSHA reduced
physicians Creech & occupational
Johnson and EIS officer exposure of
December 1973 (CDC) Falk begin an VCM gas from
4th case of ASL investigation in the 500ppm to
documented deaths 1ppm in the air
December 1973 1974 the public
death of 4th notified of induced
case cancer among VCM
plant occupational
workers
Technor Apex
Law-Policy-Toxic-Substances Control Vintage paper ads
Too Late: Past Exposure Caused Other Cases of Diseases in the World
*ASL has a latency of 20 years
In 1978 type 3
From 1926 to 1974 (adenocarcinoma) and
occupational VCM type 4 (large-cell In 1979 20 workers
exposure died from undifferentiated) lung in a VCM plant
Brain, Lung, and cancers in cases diagnosed with
Pancreatic cancer occurring among plant pneumoconiosis in
onset later in life employees Italy
1977 study 1978 Ten cases of
done=26 angiosarcoma of the
cases of ASL liver among vinyl
of people that chloride workers
lived within from a plant in
the vicinity of Shawinigan, Québec
VCM plants
And There are More
1979 IARC=VCM is a
human carcinogen, target 2018 Over 99% of total
organs are the liver, brain, global VCM consumption
lung and haemo- was used for PVC
lymphopoietic system production
1984 11 cases of ASL and
1 hemangiopericytoma
documented in Croatia
PVC is Used for Everything
plastipedia
HIS Markit-handbook
Just Some Extra Information…..
• Early years effected the human body
• As years went by disease cases kept popping up from exposure before
the OSHA ppm changed
• Plants are still not following the EPA guidelines, and EPA is having a
hard time controlling safety. Fines are large, but cleanup is not being
done, its more expensive than the fines
• Multiple plants have closed because they cannot afford the fines and
clean up
• The following is just some extra information I felt very interesting,
plants start to explode, toxins are released into the environment
PVC Production Still Releases Deadly Chemicals into the Air
Every Year, Including VCM
• In 2003, in Plaquemine, Louisiana, a trailer park development was
relocated, women started to miscarry in the tainted areas, the residents
were drinking the water that was contaminated by vinyl chloride
groundwater.
• In Delaware City, Delaware, the Formosa Plastics Corp had been under
investigation for years, waste PVC sludge dumped into lagoons and
contaminated soil, groundwater and air-monitoring has revealed high
concentrations of vinyl chloride near the PVC manufacturing facility. The
plant closed 1 year before the 5-year review was due September 2019.
• A new study found that cows downwind and living near the Formosa
Plastics plant in Delaware City, De, had DNA damage, DNA damage can
cause chromosomal change and miscarriages.
Things won’t change we need PVC
April 23, 2004, Formosa Plastics in Illinois a PVC production plant exploded. Five
workers died and 2 injured. The explosion followed a release of highly flammable
vinyl chloride, which ignited. The community was evacuated, and fires burned for
several days at the plant.
Chemical Hazard and Safety Board
Five workers were killed, four towns were evacuated, several
highways closed, a no-fly zone declared, and three hundred
firefighters from twenty-seven surrounding communities
battled the flames for three days.
Can Our Planet Endure Anymore
Toxins…
April 16, 2012 the Westlake Vinyl's in Geismar, Louisiana exploded. The
plant makes 550 million pounds of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) and
60 million pounds of PVC a year.
Wounded Bird Blog Spot The Advocate Baton_Rouge
Westlake Vinyl: Geismar, Louisiana
Toxic Cocktail released into the air:
2,645 pounds of hydrochloric acid;
632 pounds of chlorine;
239 pounds of vinyl chloride monomer;
29 pounds of 1,2-dichloroethane;
11 pounds of 1,1,2-Trichloroethane;
1 pound of 1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane; and a
number of other chemicals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Db9491ys9A8
And It Goes ON………….
April 14, 2016, 24 killed and 88 injured at a PVC plant in Mexico. The
plant called Mexichem-Pemex is one of the world's largest
manufacturers of PVC pipe. It has operations in 30 countries and
employs 19,200 at 100 different sites.
Zero Hedge News
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOIzrTjqndo
Our Materialistic Needs are Destroying
the Environment and Human Lives
November 28, 2018 a PVC plant Zhangjiakou China, exploded killing 23 and injuring
more than 20. Explosion was caused by a leak of VCM-Vinyl Chloride Monomer.
Post Wire Services D.W. News
What’s the Answer??
Unfortunately, there really isn’t an answer. The whole world depends
on the use of PVC. There is no other plastic like it. Add or take away a
certain chemical and it does what you want it to do-flex or harden. Few
plants follow CDC and EPA regulations. Every accident on these slides,
the company was already fined but hadn’t fixed the problem of the
fine. You need to get rid of waste, this waste ends up in the ground or
in the air, the surrounding population pays for it.
What’s That Smell???
Just an FYI, have you ever noticed the smell of something made of PVC
or any plastic?? That’s called offgassing. Offgassing releases part of the
plasticizer (stabilizerdi-isononyl phthalate (DiNP), hydrocarbons,
dibutylphthalate (DBP) & di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP)) into the
surrounding air, and into the lungs and eyes. It can also release onto
the skin and be absorbed into the body. Their all considered a human
carcinogen by the EPA.
The End
Christine Davis, November 2019
References
Adams. (2018). Is that smelly plastic from China Toxic? Retrieved from https://www.realnatural.org/is-smelly-china-plastic-toxic/
The Associated Press. (2016). Mexican Plant explosion death toll climbs to 24. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/mexico-plant-explosion-folo-1.3548021
Bigotti & Caputo (1971). Ocogenic response of rat skin, lungs and bones to vinyl chloride. Retrieved from
https://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/canres/31/5/516.full.pdf
Brody, J. (1974). Liver cancer alert declared to protect plastics workers. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/1974/02/15/archives/liver-cancer-alert-declared-to-
protect-plastics-workers-alert-is.html
CDC, (2018). Biographies-Polyvinyl chloride. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/od/science/wewerethere/pvc/biographies-angiosarcoma.htm
Centers for Health, Environment & Justice (nd) Environmental Justice & the PVC chemical Industry. Retrieved from
http://www.chej.org/pvcfactsheets/Environmental_Justice_and_the_PVC_Chemical_Industry.html
ChemOrbis Editorial Team. (2017). Two PVC plants in China shaken by explosions. Retrieved fromhttps://www.chemorbis.com/en/plastics-news/Two-PVC-plants-in-
China-shaken-by-explosions/2017/08/08/697602#reportH
Falk, H., & Briss, P. (2011). Environmental-and injury-related epidemic-assistance investigations, 1946-2005. Retrieved from
https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/174/suppl_11/S65/108296
Foster, M. (2012). Explosion and chemical fire at Geismar plant. Retrieved fromhttps://www.fox8live.com/story/17230560/chemical-fire/
Diaz, L.. (2016). Mexico’s Pemex puts blast death toll at 24, blames leak . Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mexico-pemex-idUSKCN0XH2N2
Falk, H., Crowley, H., Ishak, K., Thomas, L., Popper, H., & Caldwell, G. (1981, October). Epidemiology of hepatic angiosarcoma in the United States: 1964-1974.
Retrieved from https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/abs/10.1289/ehp.8141107
Heath, C., Falk, H., & Creech, J. (1975, January). Characteristics of cases of Angiosarcoma of the liver among Vinyl Chloride workers in the United States. Retrieved from
https://nyaspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1975.tb51097.x#accessDenialLayout
Morbid and Mortality Weekly Report, MMWR. (1997). Epidemiologic notes and reports, Angiosarcoma of the liver among polyvinyl chloride workers-Kentucky.
Retrieved fromhttps://academic.oup.com/aje/article/174/suppl_11/S65/108296
MMWR. (1999). Angiosarcoma of the liver among polyvinyl chloride workers—Kentucky. 1974,. Retrieved from https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/53666
Sass, J., Castleman, B., & Wallinga, D. (2005). Vinyl chloride: A case study of data suppression and misrepresentation. Retrieved
fromhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1257639/
Toloken, S. (2018). ChemChina says it caused deadly PVC plant explosion. Retrieved from
https://www.rubbernews.com/article/20181205/NEWS/181209970/chemchina-says-it-caused-deadly-pvc-plant-explosion
Wagoner, J. (1983). Toxicity of vinyl chloride and poly(vinyl chloride): a critical review. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1569348/
