In early February 2023 a Norfolk southern 50 car train derailed in East Palestine Ohio. The train was transporting multiple tanker cars of vinyl chloride. It is a gas a room temperature but cooled to a liquid at, -13.9 C or 6.98 F, for transportation. Vinyl chloride is the monomer subunit of the polymer PVC. The chemical is found in plastic PVC pipes often used for plumbing, as well as vinyl siding, packaging and a range of consumer goods, including furniture, car parts, shower curtains and toys used by children and pets.
Inhalation of vinyl chloride has been linked to liver cancer and other health problems, according to the National Cancer Institute, and its use has long been banned in cosmetics, hair spray and other personal products. PVC plastic is not a known or suspected carcinogen, the agency said. The Vinyl Institute, a trade group that represents manufacturers, called the effort to ban vinyl chloride misguided. As shown by the polymerization reaction if no termination step is undergone then free radical chain reactions would be prevalent in the local ecosystem of East Palestine, Ohio. The EPA did soil removal to remove residual vinyl chloride from the area. However the damage done to the environment was essentially irreversible. This episode is a reminder of the dangers of living near rail lines, ports, airports, and highways. It also highlights the wide ranging effects accidents can have on the surrounding areas.
https://apnews.com/article/vinyl-chloride-ohio-train-derailment-toxic-chemicals-54bb0a943f4f4af0e4f68cc60ce4edb4
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Good catchy title with both the chemical species and an indication of the problem. Also a good graphic. Your summary of the chemistry of vinyl chloride is concise and to the point. The chemical illustrations are helpful in providing the connection between the vinyl chloride and the everyday plastic that is in so many everyday items. The emphasis on the hazards of living near railways, etc. is appropriate. That has been a complicated issue since the early days of environmental legislation in the 60s and 70s.
ReplyDeleteArticles like this, of course, contribute to a skeptical attitude about chemistry. There seldom seems to be much discussion of whether or not things like PVC can be readily replaced. In fact solutions to problems like this probably require more chemistry not less.