US begins review that could spell trouble for PVC
Washington (AFP) - The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Thursday announced a review that could eventually lead to the end of PVC plastic production -- impacting everything from records to rubber ducks. Vinyl chloride, which is used in the manufacturing and processing of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), was officially classified as a human carcinogen in 1974 and banned in hair sprays, refrigerants, cosmetics and drugs. It is the same chemical that burned in a tower of black smoke over an Ohio town where a train derailed earlier this year. But it continues to be widely used to make PVC wate...