Environmental concerns polyvinyl chloride

Another advantage cited for organic electronics is their perceived low environmental impact and high expected consumer safety. This assumption is generally based on the notion that plastics are easily recycled and are considered safe to humans and animals. However, the materials used are often completely new compositions with poorly understood health and safety attributes. The assumption that all plastics are completely safe for humans is inaccurate, as is exemplified by recent concerns about the toxicity of polyvinyl chloride (PVC).39 In contrast, most inorganic nanoparticle materials are already on the consumer market and have extensive historical data on their safety in a variety of applications. Some materials, such as zinc oxide, are even considered reasonably safe for ingestion and therefore are commonly used in food and cosmetics. However, the health effects and interactions of nanoparticles on the human body are still a topic of debate.40... 

Although environmentally persistent, most of the common phthalates have low toxicity ratings of 2 or 3, based on acute toxic effects. There is particular concern with regard to di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate used as a plasticizer in polyvinyl chloride plastic medical devices.12 Dialysis patients and hemophiliacs who receive frequent blood transfusions are especially likely to receive potentially harmful levels of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalates from contact of fluids with such devices. 

Another area of environmental concern is the products themselves. Petroleum refining in the last 10 years has been driven by requirements for the composition of gasoline and diesel fuel that are continuously changed by environmental demands. Such considerations will have even stronger impact in the future. There are similar problems in the chemical process industries. The search for an environmentally acceptable substitute for Freon is a prominent present example. Another problem is polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which causes difficulties in incinerators. The question is, should we continue to produce PVC or should we find a substitute that is easier to dispose of Can we modify polymers in such a way that they cause fewer problems of pollution than they cause now These are major challenges for the profession, in both academia and industry. 

For some excipients, the global acceptability of some packaging materials varies from country to country. This can often stem from environmental concerns and the negative impact from the need to dispose of packaging waste. For example, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is used widely to manufacture bottles and blisters for pharmaceutical products, but there is a growing concern about its safe use and disposal in some countries (Hansen 1999). Incineration is the preferred method of disposal for PVC, with the downside that it emits toxic gases. Materials that are readily biodegradable, or that can be recycled, are preferred. This is not always possible with some types of synthetic materials. 

Finally, the disposal and destruction of compounds containing polyvinyl chloride may create environmental problems. Burning such products, for example, releases hydrogen chloride gas, a suffocating and toxic gas, into the atmosphere. Enough concern about the health and environmental hazards has arisen that some governmental bodies in Europe have placed limitations on the uses to which PVC products can be put. 

Worldwide, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is one of the most extruded polymers by volume. While environmental and health concerns has created lost market share in certain applications, PVC has made large gains in other areas, such as the replacement of wood and aluminum profiles in building construction products. Blown film extrusion is also used in the manufacture of products from PVC. Though PVC has limited thermal stability, it has good melt strength, which lends itself nicely to blown film extrusion. 

In addition to their biodegradability, compatibility, and compostability, PHAs were reported to possess gas-barrier properties almost similar to those of polyvinyl chloride and polyethylene terephthalate. These combinations of excellent physico-chemical properties coupled with the current concerns over environmental pollution and waste degradation drive their increasing commercial exploitation in different niche applications spanning from biomedical, packaging, automotive, infrastructure, aerospace to military applications. ... 

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