Toxic surprises from the plastics industry — Science News, September 7, 1974
In the United States alone, more than 29 billion pounds of plastic are produced each year. An estimated 2.5 million workers are engaged in mass producing them…. Many of these chemicals used to make plastics are so toxic that they affect workers’ health. Earlier this year, 15 vinyl chloride workers died from a rare, chemically induced liver cancer.
Update
Vinyl chloride is a primary ingredient in PVC, a non-carcinogenic plastic commonly used for water pipes, IV bags and many other products. Safety standards for vinyl chloride were set in 1975. Today, U.S. workers’ exposure levels are tightly
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