Vinyl Chloride and Dioxins
Vinyl chloride is a toxic substance used to manufacture plastics, and can leach out of those plastic materials over time. It is a known carcinogen for which there is no safe level of exposure.
Vinyl chloride is present in a wide range of consumer goods, including:
- PVC plastics, including pipes
- Vinyl siding
- Windows
- Flooring
- Packaging
- Furniture
- Car parts and interiors
- Children's and pet toys
- Shower curtains
Some known effects are:
- Cancers of the liver, brain, and lungs
- Lymphomas and leukemia
- Increased risk of miscarriage and birth defects when the vapors are inhaled
As bad as vinyl chloride is, it will rapidly decompose by interaction with other molecules and by some types of bacteria when released into the ground, water, and air, usually within just a few days.
However, some of the real concerns come from its combustion, which will release dioxins that are far more persistent in the environment and still highly toxic, causing hormone disruption, immune damage, developmental and reproductive problems, as well as various cancers.
So when the EPA burned the vinyl chloride in East Palestine after the railroad spill in February 2023, they essentially traded a short-lived local environmental problem into a more widespread disaster with even more toxic effects that will persist permanently. Normally, this would be considered something along the lines of criminal incompetence; but apparently the EPA doesn't regulate itself.
References and more information: