- Email: [email protected]
PVC plant enquiry opens
F O C U S
O N
found phthalates levels in people to be much higher than previously estimated. But chemical industry argues that there is no evidence that the different phthalates have an additive effect. According to the Phthalate Esters Panel – part of the American Chemistry Council – one study suggests that two of the most widely used phthalates, DEHP and din-butyl phthalate (DBP), do not have cumulative effects. Plastics News, 11 Jul 2002 (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com)
FDA offers hospitals advice on DEHP On 12 Jul 2002 the US Food and Drug Administration advised hospitals that they should limit patient exposure to the polyvinyl chloride plasticizer di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (or DEHP). Although there is no proof that the compound is dangerous to humans, there are fears it may cause reproductive disorders. Baby boys may be at most risk. The FDA may also require medical device producers to label any products that may contain DEHP. Meanwhile the American Chemistry Council’s Phthalate Esters Panel claimed DEHP was safe for almost all applications and that it had been studied much more closely than alternative materials. Plastics News, 18 Jul 2002 (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com)
Chlorine and PVC industries fund drinking water projects in Guatemala Euro Chlor and the European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers (ECVM) have jointly donated €10,500 to fund water and sanitation projects in two Guatemalan villages. The projects will provide a sustainable water infrastructure for 500 people using chlorine disinfectants and 13 km of PVC pipe. Press release from: Euro Chlor, Brussels, Belgium. Website: http://www.eurochlor.org (24 Jun 2002)
FDA issues notification on phthalates in PVC medical devices; alternatives should be used for certain medical treatments The Food and Drug Administration issued a Public Health Notification on 12 Jul 2002 recommending that
4
P O LY V I N Y L C H L O R I D E
health care providers take precautions to limit the exposure of the developing male to di-2-ethylhexyl-phthalate (DEHP). The FDA document said that alternatives to DEHP-containing PVC medical devices should be used when possible for certain medical procedures. However, the FDA will not require the labelling of DEHPcontaining medical devices, leaving health care providers with no way of knowing which products pose a threat. FDA’s long-awaited Public Health Notification is a follow up to the agency’s Sep 2001 safety assessment on DEHP in medical devices. That document found that some PVC medical products may expose patients to unsafe amounts of DEHP, which is used to soften PVC medical devices such as bags and tubing used to administer fluids, medication, blood, oxygen, and nutritional formulas to patients. The FDA notification is included in the article. The article lists high-risk procedures.
reductions of over 90% to achieve compliance. Mercury emissions would be limited to an average of 60 grammes a day. Not all US chlorine manufacturers use mercury, and only about a dozen plants would be affected. Together they account for 5% of stationary source mercury emissions.
Press release from: Health Care Without Harm, 1755, S Street, NW Suite 6B, Washington DC 20009, USA. Fax: +1 202 234 9121. E-mail: [email protected]. Website: http://www.noharm.org (15 Jul 2002)
European Chemical News, 29 Jul 2002, 77 (2016), 23
Slovakia reverses ban on PVC The government of Slovakia has revoked its decision to ban PVC following intense lobbying efforts spearheaded by the European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers and Novacke, the country’s sole PVC producer. Under the policy, production as well as import and export of PVC would have been banned starting 2008. Sources say the reversal was caused by the potential loss of investments if a PVC ban is in place. A ban on the import of PVC could also hurt Slovakia’s entry into the EU, since the ban would affect the free movement of goods. European Plastics News, Jul-Aug 2002, 29 (7), 9
EPA proposes new rules on mercury emission from chloralkali plants The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed new national emission standards to regulate mercury emission from US plants making sodium hydroxide and the chlorine used in making ethylene dichloride, vinyl chloride monomer and PVC. Some operators might have to make
Chemical Market Reporter 22-29 Jul 2002, 262 (3), 4
PVC plant enquiry opens The deaths of 57 personnel at Solvay’s 95,000 tonne/y PVC plant, which was operational in Ferrara, Italy, until 1998, are being investigated. Claims have been made that working practices before 1970 were unsafe, and that the handling of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) caused cancer in the workers. The carcinogenicity of VCM was not known until the 1970s, when the company took action to minimise worker exposure.
COMPOUNDS Vinyl compounds in Western Europe Applied Market Information (AMI) has made a survey of the 50 major producers of compound PVC with annual capacity greater than 1.5 M tonnes. 1.5 M tonnes of PVC compound was produced in 19992000 with demand in Western Europe at 1.2 M tonnes in 1999 and 1.3 M tonnes in 2000. Building applications (profiles) now represent 22% of the market. In 1990 demand for PVC for bottles was 280,000 tonnes but this had fallen to 40,000 tonnes by 2000 because of substitution by PET. A pie chart shows demand for vinyl compounds in Western Europe as follows: UK (20%), Italy (20%), Germany (17%, France (15%), Spain (8%), Benelux (7%), Other (8%). Demand is expected to remain at 1.21.3 M tonnes with demand for profiles in Germany and the UK nearing saturation. The medical sector is the most likely growth area for flexible PVC. AMI notes the increase in volumes produced by smaller independent companies. macplas, Jun 2002, 27 (239), 27-28
SEPTEMBER 2002
O N
found phthalates levels in people to be much higher than previously estimated. But chemical industry argues that there is no evidence that the different phthalates have an additive effect. According to the Phthalate Esters Panel – part of the American Chemistry Council – one study suggests that two of the most widely used phthalates, DEHP and din-butyl phthalate (DBP), do not have cumulative effects. Plastics News, 11 Jul 2002 (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com)
FDA offers hospitals advice on DEHP On 12 Jul 2002 the US Food and Drug Administration advised hospitals that they should limit patient exposure to the polyvinyl chloride plasticizer di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (or DEHP). Although there is no proof that the compound is dangerous to humans, there are fears it may cause reproductive disorders. Baby boys may be at most risk. The FDA may also require medical device producers to label any products that may contain DEHP. Meanwhile the American Chemistry Council’s Phthalate Esters Panel claimed DEHP was safe for almost all applications and that it had been studied much more closely than alternative materials. Plastics News, 18 Jul 2002 (Website: http://www.plasticsnews.com)
Chlorine and PVC industries fund drinking water projects in Guatemala Euro Chlor and the European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers (ECVM) have jointly donated €10,500 to fund water and sanitation projects in two Guatemalan villages. The projects will provide a sustainable water infrastructure for 500 people using chlorine disinfectants and 13 km of PVC pipe. Press release from: Euro Chlor, Brussels, Belgium. Website: http://www.eurochlor.org (24 Jun 2002)
FDA issues notification on phthalates in PVC medical devices; alternatives should be used for certain medical treatments The Food and Drug Administration issued a Public Health Notification on 12 Jul 2002 recommending that
4
P O LY V I N Y L C H L O R I D E
health care providers take precautions to limit the exposure of the developing male to di-2-ethylhexyl-phthalate (DEHP). The FDA document said that alternatives to DEHP-containing PVC medical devices should be used when possible for certain medical procedures. However, the FDA will not require the labelling of DEHPcontaining medical devices, leaving health care providers with no way of knowing which products pose a threat. FDA’s long-awaited Public Health Notification is a follow up to the agency’s Sep 2001 safety assessment on DEHP in medical devices. That document found that some PVC medical products may expose patients to unsafe amounts of DEHP, which is used to soften PVC medical devices such as bags and tubing used to administer fluids, medication, blood, oxygen, and nutritional formulas to patients. The FDA notification is included in the article. The article lists high-risk procedures.
reductions of over 90% to achieve compliance. Mercury emissions would be limited to an average of 60 grammes a day. Not all US chlorine manufacturers use mercury, and only about a dozen plants would be affected. Together they account for 5% of stationary source mercury emissions.
Press release from: Health Care Without Harm, 1755, S Street, NW Suite 6B, Washington DC 20009, USA. Fax: +1 202 234 9121. E-mail: [email protected]. Website: http://www.noharm.org (15 Jul 2002)
European Chemical News, 29 Jul 2002, 77 (2016), 23
Slovakia reverses ban on PVC The government of Slovakia has revoked its decision to ban PVC following intense lobbying efforts spearheaded by the European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers and Novacke, the country’s sole PVC producer. Under the policy, production as well as import and export of PVC would have been banned starting 2008. Sources say the reversal was caused by the potential loss of investments if a PVC ban is in place. A ban on the import of PVC could also hurt Slovakia’s entry into the EU, since the ban would affect the free movement of goods. European Plastics News, Jul-Aug 2002, 29 (7), 9
EPA proposes new rules on mercury emission from chloralkali plants The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed new national emission standards to regulate mercury emission from US plants making sodium hydroxide and the chlorine used in making ethylene dichloride, vinyl chloride monomer and PVC. Some operators might have to make
Chemical Market Reporter 22-29 Jul 2002, 262 (3), 4
PVC plant enquiry opens The deaths of 57 personnel at Solvay’s 95,000 tonne/y PVC plant, which was operational in Ferrara, Italy, until 1998, are being investigated. Claims have been made that working practices before 1970 were unsafe, and that the handling of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) caused cancer in the workers. The carcinogenicity of VCM was not known until the 1970s, when the company took action to minimise worker exposure.
COMPOUNDS Vinyl compounds in Western Europe Applied Market Information (AMI) has made a survey of the 50 major producers of compound PVC with annual capacity greater than 1.5 M tonnes. 1.5 M tonnes of PVC compound was produced in 19992000 with demand in Western Europe at 1.2 M tonnes in 1999 and 1.3 M tonnes in 2000. Building applications (profiles) now represent 22% of the market. In 1990 demand for PVC for bottles was 280,000 tonnes but this had fallen to 40,000 tonnes by 2000 because of substitution by PET. A pie chart shows demand for vinyl compounds in Western Europe as follows: UK (20%), Italy (20%), Germany (17%, France (15%), Spain (8%), Benelux (7%), Other (8%). Demand is expected to remain at 1.21.3 M tonnes with demand for profiles in Germany and the UK nearing saturation. The medical sector is the most likely growth area for flexible PVC. AMI notes the increase in volumes produced by smaller independent companies. macplas, Jun 2002, 27 (239), 27-28
SEPTEMBER 2002