Key Takeaways:
- The CDC updated the toxicity profile for vinyl chloride, removing information about how the chemical affects children and massively increasing the lethal exposure level, just days before a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, which released highly toxic chemicals into the environment.
- The Biden administration and the media have downplayed the disaster, and the EPA deemed the water in the area “safe to drink,” despite reports of affected wildlife and pets dying.
- Vinyl chloride is a known carcinogen that can cause liver, brain, lung cancers, lymphoma, and leukemia.
Written by Steve Cannon for USSA News.
The CDC’s recent update to the toxicology profile for vinyl chloride, removing information about how the chemical affects children and increasing the lethal exposure level, just two weeks before a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, is causing concern among residents and experts. The accident resulted in highly toxic chemicals being released into the environment, leaving a strong chemical smell in the air nearly two weeks later.
The CDC’s recent revision of the toxicological profile for vinyl chloride, which is used to produce polyvinyl chloride (PVC), is significant, as the chemical is a known carcinogen that has been linked to different types of cancers, including liver, brain, lung cancers, lymphoma, and leukemia. The timing of the CDC update is raising questions among experts and residents, especially since vinyl chloride exposure can be deadly at high levels, and the lethal exposure level was updated from 100PPM to 100,000PPM, a massive increase.
Despite reports of affected wildlife and pets dying in the area and strong chemical odors, the Biden administration and the media have downplayed the disaster. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) even deemed the water in the area “safe to drink,” further raising concerns among residents.
There are also additional concerns over the CDC’s recently modified page on vinyl chloride, which now features fewer FAQs than before, with two sections, “How can vinyl chloride affect children?” and “Has the federal government made recommendations to protect human health?” removed.
Possible consequences of the CDC’s actions in revising the toxicity profile for vinyl chloride just days before the train derailment could lead to additional health problems for people in affected areas, particularly if exposure to the chemical was higher than the original guidelines suggested. The removal of information on how vinyl chloride affects children also puts children at higher risk, as they may be more vulnerable to the chemical’s adverse effects.
- What is vinyl chloride used for? Vinyl chloride is a gas used to produce a plastic known as polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
- Is vinyl chloride toxic? Yes, vinyl chloride is a known carcinogen that has been linked to different types of cancers, including liver, brain, lung cancers, lymphoma, and leukemia.
