The Dangers of Vinyl Chloride, Phosgene, and Dioxins
- Last Updated: June 18th, 2024
Attorney Jessie Paluch, founder of TruLaw, has over 25 years of experience as a personal injury and mass tort attorney, and previously worked as an international tax attorney at Deloitte. Jessie collaborates with attorneys nationwide — enabling her to share reliable, up-to-date legal information with our readers.
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The Dangers of Vinyl Chloride, Phosgene, and Dioxins
Vinyl chloride is a colorless gas with a faintly sweet odor.
It is used to make polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which is used in a wide range of products, including credit cards, furniture, car parts, and most notably, PVC piping.
A recent train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio has put this chemical on the front page of news with residents being evacuated due to a large release of the gas.
Table of Contents
What is Vinyl Chloride?
The National Cancer Institute associates vinyl chloride exposure with increased risk of liver cancer and other types of cancer.
Those who are at the greatest risk are PVC pipe makers who have inhaled the chemical during the manufacturing process.
If the workers breathed in the gas for longer periods and had high levels of exposure, they were at an increased risk of developing rare liver cancers, according to Ruth Lunn, a researcher of carcinogens at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
What is Phosgene?
When vinyl chloride burns, it releases hazardous chemicals such as phosgene and hydrogen chloride into the air.
Phosgene is a colorless gas with a pungent odor that can cause vomiting and breathing difficulties, and was once used as a weapon in World War I.
Experts consider phosgene to be safe at exposure levels of 0.1 parts per million (ppm) during an eight-hour period, or 0.2 ppm during a 15-minute period.
Hydrogen chloride is another chemical that can be released when vinyl chloride burns.
It is a colorless to yellowish gas with a strong odor and is known to cause skin, eye, nose and throat irritation.
Exposure to hydrogen chloride is considered safe at 5 ppm for an eight-hour period.
What are Dioxins?
There is also concern that the burning of vinyl chloride could lead to the formation of dioxins, which are created from burning chlorinated carbon materials.
Dioxins are a group of persistent environmental pollutants that can remain in the ground and body for years and have been one of the major environmental problems and controversies in the United States.
Experts are worried that the exposure to dioxins could have long-term health effects on individuals who were exposed.
At the moment, the Environmental Protection Agency is monitoring the air and water quality in the East Palestine area to determine the level of contamination.
However, residents are concerned about the potential long-term effects of low-grade exposure, and it is not clear when it will be safe for them to return home.
Contact a Chemical Spill Lawyer
If you or someone you know has been exposed to vinyl chloride or other hazardous chemicals, it is important to contact a lawyer to understand your legal rights.
You may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Contact TruLaw today for an Instant Case Evaluation if you have been exposed to vinyl chloride or any other hazardous materials.
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With over 25 years of legal experience, Jessie is an Illinois lawyer, a CPA, and a mother of three. She spent the first decade of her career working as an international tax attorney at Deloitte.
In 2009, Jessie co-founded her own law firm with her husband – which has scaled to over 30 employees since its conception.
In 2016, Jessie founded TruLaw, which allows her to collaborate with attorneys and legal experts across the United States on a daily basis. This hypervaluable network of experts is what enables her to share reliable legal information with her readers!
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AFFF Lawsuit claims are being filed against manufacturers of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), commonly used in firefighting.
Claims allege that companies such as 3M, DuPont, and Tyco Fire Products failed to adequately warn users about the potential dangers of AFFF exposure — including increased risks of various cancers and diseases.
Suboxone Tooth Decay Lawsuit claims are being filed against Indivior, the manufacturer of Suboxone, a medication used to treat opioid addiction.
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Transvaginal Mesh Lawsuits are being filed against manufacturers of transvaginal mesh products used to treat pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI).
Claims allege that companies like Ethicon, C.R. Bard, and Boston Scientific failed to adequately warn about potential dangers — including erosion, pain, and infection.
Bair Hugger Warming Blanket Lawsuits involve claims against 3M — alleging their surgical warming blankets caused severe infections and complications (particularly in hip and knee replacement surgeries).
Plaintiffs claim 3M failed to warn about potential risks — despite knowing about increased risk of deep joint infections since 2011.
Baby Formula NEC Lawsuit claims are being filed against manufacturers of cow’s milk-based baby formula products.
Claims allege that companies like Abbott Laboratories (Similac) and Mead Johnson & Company (Enfamil) failed to warn about the increased risk of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in premature infants.
Here, at TruLaw, we’re committed to helping victims get the justice they deserve.
Alongside our partner law firms, we have successfully collected over $3 Billion in verdicts and settlements on behalf of injured individuals.
Would you like our help?
