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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Vinyl Chloride 

CAS#: 75-01-4 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine July 2006 

This Public Health Statement is the summary 

chapter from the Toxicological Profile for Vinyl 

Chloride. It is one in a series of Public Health 

Statements about hazardous substances and their 

health effects. A shorter version, the ToxFAQsTM, 

is also available. This information is important 

because this substance may harm you. The effects 

of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on 

the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, 

personal traits and habits, and whether other 

chemicals are present. For more information, call 

the ATSDR Information Center at 1-888-422-8737. 

This public health statement tells you about vinyl 

chloride and the effects of exposure to it. 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

identifies the most serious hazardous waste sites in 

the nation. These sites are then placed on the 

National Priorities List (NPL) and are targeted for 

long-term federal clean-up activities. Vinyl 

chloride has been found in at least 616 of the 

1,662 current or former NPL sites. Although the 

total number of NPL sites evaluated for this 

substance is not known, the possibility exists that 

the number of sites at which vinyl chloride is found 

could increase in the future as more sites are 

evaluated. This information is important because 

these sites may be sources of exposure, and 

exposure to this substance can harm you. 

When a substance is released either from a large 

area, such as an industrial plant, or from a container, 

such as a drum or bottle, it enters the environment. 

Such a release does not always lead to exposure. 

You can be exposed to a substance only when you 

come in contact with it. You may be exposed by 

breathing, eating, or drinking the substance, or by 

skin contact. 

If you are exposed to vinyl chloride, many factors 

will determine whether you will be harmed. These 

factors include the dose (how much), the duration 

(how long), and how you come in contact with it. 

You must also consider any other chemicals you are 

exposed to and your age, sex, diet, family traits, 

lifestyle, and state of health. 

1.1 WHAT IS VINYL CHLORIDE? 

Vinyl chloride is known also as chloroethene, 

chloroethylene, ethylene monochloride, or 

monochloroethylene. At room temperature, it is a 

colorless gas, it burns easily, and it is not stable at 

high temperatures. Vinyl chloride exists in liquid 

form if kept under high pressure or at low 

temperatures. Vinyl chloride has a mild, sweet 

odor, which may become noticeable at 3,000 parts 

vinyl chloride per million parts (ppm) of air. 

However, the odor is of little value in preventing 

excess exposure. Most people begin to taste vinyl 

chloride in water at 3.4 ppm. 

Vinyl chloride is a manufactured substance that 

does not occur naturally; however, it can be formed 

in the environment when other manufactured 

substances, such as trichloroethylene, trichloroethane, and tetrachloroethylene, are broken down by 

certain microorganisms. Production of vinyl 

chloride in the United States grew at an average rate 

of about 7% from the early 1980s to the early 

1990s, with current growth at about 3% annually. 

Most of the vinyl chloride produced in the United 

States is used to make a polymer called polyvinyl 

chloride (PVC), which consists of long repeating 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Vinyl Chloride 

CAS#: 75-01-4 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine July 2006 

units of vinyl chloride. PVC is used to make a 

variety of plastic products including pipes, wire and 

cable coatings, and packaging materials. Other uses 

include furniture and automobile upholstery, wall 

coverings, housewares, and automotive parts. At 

one time, vinyl chloride was used as a coolant, as a 

propellant in spray cans, and in some cosmetics. 

However, since the mid-1970s, vinyl chloride 

mostly has been used in the manufacture of PVC. 

1.2 WHAT HAPPENS TO VINYL CHLORIDE 

WHEN IT ENTERS THE 

ENVIRONMENT? 

Most of the vinyl chloride that enters the 

environment comes from vinyl chloride 

manufacturing or processing plants, which release it 

into the air or into waste water. EPA limits the 

amount that industries can release. Vinyl chloride 

also is a breakdown product of other synthetic 

chemicals. Vinyl chloride has entered the 

environment at hazardous waste sites as a result of 

improper disposal or leakage from storage 

containers or spills, but some may result from the 

breakdown of other chemicals. In addition, vinyl 

chloride has been found in tobacco smoke at very 

low levels. 

Liquid vinyl chloride evaporates easily. Vinyl 

chloride in water or soil evaporates rapidly if it is 

near the surface. Vinyl chloride in the air breaks 

down in a few days, resulting in the formation of 

several other chemicals including hydrochloric acid, 

formaldehyde, and carbon dioxide. 

Some vinyl chloride can dissolve in water. Vinyl 

chloride can migrate to groundwater and can be in 

groundwater due to the breakdown of other 

chemicals. Vinyl chloride is unlikely to build up in 

plants or animals that you might eat. 

1.3 HOW MIGHT I BE EXPOSED TO VINYL 

CHLORIDE? 

Because vinyl chloride usually exists in a gaseous 

state, you are most likely to be exposed to it by 

breathing it. Vinyl chloride is not normally found 

in urban, suburban, or rural air in amounts that are 

detectable by the usual methods of analysis. 

However, vinyl chloride has been found in the air 

near vinyl chloride manufacturing and processing 

plants, hazardous waste sites, and landfills. The 

amount of vinyl chloride in the air near these places 

ranges from trace amounts to over 1 ppm. Levels as 

high as 44 ppm were found in the air at some 

landfills. You can also be exposed to vinyl chloride 

in the air through tobacco smoke from cigarettes or 

cigars (both active smoking and second-hand 

smoke). Levels of vinyl chloride in tobacco smoke 

are very low, usually around 5–30 nanograms per 

cigarette (a nanogram is 0.000000001 gram). 

You can be exposed to vinyl chloride by drinking 

water from contaminated wells. Most drinking 

water supplies do not contain vinyl chloride. In a 

1982 survey, vinyl chloride was found in fewer than 

1% of the 945 groundwater supplies tested in the 

United States. The concentrations in groundwater 

were up to 0.008 ppm. Other studies have reported 

vinyl chloride in groundwater at concentrations at 

or below 0.38 ppm. At one time, the flow of water 

through PVC pipes added very low amounts of 

vinyl chloride to water. For example, in one study 

of newly installed pipes, the drinking water had 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Vinyl Chloride 

CAS#: 75-01-4 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine July 2006 

0.001 ppm of vinyl chloride. No current 

information is available about the amount of vinyl 

chloride released from PVC pipes into water. In the 

past, vinyl chloride could get into food stored in 

materials containing PVC, but the U.S. government 

now regulates the amount of vinyl chloride in food 

packaging materials. When less than about 1 ppm 

of vinyl chloride is trapped in PVC packaging, vinyl 

chloride in detectable amounts does not enter food 

by contact with these products. 

People who work at facilities that make vinyl 

chloride or PVC usually are exposed to higher 

levels than the general population. Work exposure 

occurs primarily from breathing air that contains 

vinyl chloride, but workers also are exposed when 

vinyl chloride contacts the skin or eyes. Based on 

studies using animals, it is possible that if vinyl 

chloride comes into contact with your skin or eyes, 

extremely small amounts could enter your body. 

1.4 HOW CAN VINYL CHLORIDE ENTER 

AND LEAVE MY BODY? 

If vinyl chloride gas contacts your skin, tiny 

amounts may pass through the skin and enter your 

body. Vinyl chloride is more likely to enter your 

body when you breathe air or drink water 

containing it. This could occur near certain 

factories or hazardous waste sites or in the 

workplace. At low levels (<20 ppm), most of the 

vinyl chloride that you breathe or swallow enters 

your blood rapidly, then travels throughout your 

body. When some portion of it reaches your liver, 

your liver changes it into several substances. Most 

of these new substances also travel in your blood; 

once they reach your kidneys, they leave your body 

in your urine. Most of the vinyl chloride is gone 

from your body a day after you breathe or swallow 

it. The liver, however, makes some new substances 

that do not leave your body as rapidly. A few of 

these new substances are more harmful than vinyl 

chloride because they react with chemicals inside 

your body and interfere with the way your body 

normally uses or responds to these chemicals. 

Some of these substances react in the liver and, 

depending on how much vinyl chloride you breathe 

in, may produce damage there. Your body needs 

more time to get rid of these changed chemicals, but 

eventually removes them as well. If you breathe or 

swallow more vinyl chloride than your liver can 

chemically change, you will breathe out excess 

vinyl chloride. 

1.5 HOW CAN VINYL CHLORIDE AFFECT 

MY HEALTH? 

Scientists use many tests to protect the public from 

harmful effects of toxic chemicals and to find ways 

to treat people who have been harmed. 

One way to learn whether a chemical will harm 

people is to determine how the body absorbs, uses, 

and releases the chemical. For some chemicals, 

animal testing may be necessary. Animal testing 

may also help identify health effects, such as cancer 

or birth defects. Without laboratory animals, 

scientists would lose a basic method for getting 

information needed to make wise decisions that 

protect public health. Scientists have the 

responsibility to treat research animals with care 

and compassion. Scientists must comply with strict 

animal-care guidelines because laws today protect 

the welfare of research animals. 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Vinyl Chloride 

CAS#: 75-01-4 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine July 2006 

If you breathe high levels of vinyl chloride, you will 

feel dizzy or sleepy. These effects occur within 

5 minutes if you are exposed to about 10,000 ppm 

of vinyl chloride. You can easily smell vinyl 

chloride at this concentration. It has a mild, sweet 

odor. If you breathe still higher levels (25,000 

ppm), you may pass out. You can rapidly recover 

from these effects if you breathe fresh air. Some 

people get a headache when they breathe fresh air 

immediately after breathing very high levels of 

vinyl chloride. People who breathe extremely high 

levels of vinyl chloride can die. Studies in animals 

show that extremely high levels of vinyl chloride 

can damage the liver, lungs, and kidneys. These 

levels also can damage the heart and prevent blood 

clotting. The effects of ingesting vinyl chloride are 

unknown. If you spill liquid vinyl chloride on your 

skin, it will numb the skin and produce redness and 

blisters. 

Some people who have breathed vinyl chloride for 

several years have changes in the structure of their 

livers. People are more likely to develop these 

changes if they breathe high levels of vinyl 

chloride. Some people who have worked with vinyl 

chloride have nerve damage, and others develop an 

immune reaction. The lowest levels that produce 

liver changes, nerve damage, and immune reaction 

in people are not known. Certain jobs related to 

PVC production expose workers to very high levels 

of vinyl chloride (i.e., pools of liquid vinyl chloride 

in vats or autoclaves). Some of these workers have 

problems with the blood flow in their hands. Their 

fingers turn white and hurt when they go into the 

cold and may take a long time to recover when they 

go into a warm place. In some of these people, 

changes have appeared on the skin of their hands 

and forearms. Also, bones at the tips of their 

fingers have broken down. Studies suggest that 

some people may be more sensitive to these effects 

than others. 

Some men who work with vinyl chloride have 

complained of a lack of sex drive. Studies in 

animals showed that long-term exposure can 

damage the sperm and testes. Some women who 

work with vinyl chloride have reported irregular 

menstrual periods. Some have developed high 

blood pressure during pregnancy. 

Results from several studies have suggested that 

breathing air or drinking water containing moderate 

levels (100 ppm) of vinyl chloride might increase 

their risk for cancer. However, the levels used in 

these studies were much higher than levels found in 

the ambient air and/or most drinking water supplies. 

Studies of workers who have breathed vinyl 

chloride over many years showed an increased risk 

for cancer of the liver. Brain cancer, lung cancer, 

and some cancers of the blood also may be 

connected with breathing vinyl chloride over long 

periods. Studies of long-term exposure in animals 

showed that cancer of the liver and mammary gland 

may increase at very low levels of vinyl chloride in 

the air (50 ppm). Lab animals fed low levels of 

vinyl chloride each day (2 mg/kg/day) during their 

lifetime had an increased risk of getting liver 

cancer. 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services has determined that vinyl chloride is a 

known carcinogen. The International Agency for 

Research on Cancer has determined that vinyl 

chloride is carcinogenic to people, and EPA has 

determined that vinyl chloride is a human 

carcinogen. 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Vinyl Chloride 

CAS#: 75-01-4 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine July 2006 

1.6 HOW CAN VINYL CHLORIDE AFFECT 

CHILDREN? 

This section discusses potential health effects in 

humans from exposures during the period from 

conception to maturity at 18 years of age. 

No studies are available that specifically address the 

effects of vinyl chloride in children. Studies of 

women who live near vinyl chloride manufacturing 

plants did not show that vinyl chloride produces 

birth defects. Studies using pregnant animals 

showed that breathing high levels of vinyl chloride 

(5,000 ppm) can harm unborn baby animals. 

Animal studies also show that vinyl chloride can 

produce more miscarriages early in pregnancy and 

decrease weight and delay skeletal development in 

fetuses. These same very high levels of vinyl 

chloride also caused harmful effects in the pregnant 

animals. Inhalation studies with animals have 

suggested that vinyl chloride might affect growth 

and development. Animal studies also suggest that 

infants and young children might be more 

susceptible than adults to vinyl chloride-induced 

cancer. 

1.7 HOW CAN FAMILIES REDUCE THE 

RISK OF EXPOSURE TO VINYL 

CHLORIDE? 

If your doctor finds that you have been exposed to 

substantial amounts of vinyl chloride, ask whether 

your children might also have been exposed. Your 

doctor might need to ask your state health 

department to investigate. 

You can take some steps to limit your exposure to 

vinyl chloride. Very low levels of vinyl chloride 

exist in the ambient air, but these levels are usually 

not high enough to be a cause of concern. If you 

live near a hazardous waste site, municipal landfill, 

or a chemical plant that produces vinyl chloride or 

PVC, you might be exposed to higher levels of this 

compound than the general public. Vinyl chloride 

can leach from plastic PVC bottles or containers 

used to contain foods or beverages, but government 

agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration 

(FDA) have restricted the amount of vinyl chloride 

that can be present in these packages. Tobacco 

smoke contains low levels of vinyl chloride, so 

limiting your family’s exposure to cigarette or cigar 

smoke may help reduce their exposure to vinyl 

chloride. 

People who work in facilities that manufacture or 

use vinyl chloride could be exposed to high levels 

of this chemical. The Occupational Safety and 

Health Administration (OSHA) regulates these 

levels and employers must comply with these rules. 

If you work in an industry that manufactures or uses 

vinyl chloride, strictly adhere to the rules provided 

by the safety officer and always use respirators 

when advised. 

1.8 IS THERE A MEDICAL TEST TO 

DETERMINE WHETHER I HAVE BEEN 

EXPOSED TO VINYL CHLORIDE? 

The results of several tests can sometimes show if 

you have been exposed to vinyl chloride, depending 

on the amount of your exposure and how recently it 

happened. However, scientists do not know 

whether these measurements can tell how much 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Vinyl Chloride 

CAS#: 75-01-4 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine July 2006 

vinyl chloride you have been exposed to. These 

tests are not normally available at your doctor's 

office. Vinyl chloride can be measured in your 

breath, but the test must be done shortly after 

exposure. This test is not very helpful for 

measuring very low levels of the chemical. The 

amount of the major breakdown product of vinyl 

chloride, thiodiglycolic acid, in the urine may give 

some information about exposure. However, this 

test must be done shortly after exposure and does 

not reliably indicate the level of exposure. Also, 

exposure to other chemicals can produce the same 

breakdown products in your urine. Vinyl chloride 

can bind to genetic material in your body. The 

amount of this binding can be measured by 

sampling your blood and other tissues. This 

measurement will give information about whether 

you have been exposed to vinyl chloride, but it is 

not sensitive enough to determine the effects on the 

genetic material resulting from exposure. 

1.9 WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS HAS THE 

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MADE TO 

PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH? 

The federal government develops regulations and 

recommendations to protect public health. 

Regulations can be enforced by law. The EPA, the 

Occupational Safety and Health Administration 

(OSHA), and the Food and Drug Administration 

(FDA) are some federal agencies that develop 

regulations for toxic substances. Recommendations 

provide valuable guidelines to protect public health, 

but cannot be enforced by law. The Agency for 

Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) 

and the National Institute for Occupational Safety 

and Health (NIOSH) are two federal organizations 

that develop recommendations for toxic substances. 

Regulations and recommendations can be expressed 

as “not-to-exceed” levels, that is, levels of a toxic 

substance in air, water, soil, or food that do not 

exceed a critical value that is usually based on 

levels that affect animals; they are then adjusted to 

levels that will help protect humans. Sometimes 

these not-to-exceed levels differ among federal 

organizations because they used different exposure 

times (an 8-hour workday or a 24-hour day), 

different animal studies, or other factors. 

Recommendations and regulations are also updated 

periodically as more information becomes available. 

For the most current information, check with the 

federal agency or organization that provides it. 

Some regulations and recommendations for vinyl 

chloride include the following: 

Vinyl chloride is regulated in drinking water, food, 

and air. Because it is a hazardous substance, 

regulations on its disposal, packaging, and other 

forms of handling also exist. EPA requires that the 

amount of vinyl chloride in drinking water not 

exceed 0.002 milligrams per liter (mg/L) of water 

(0.002 ppm). Under the EPA's Ambient Water 

Quality Criteria for the protection of human health, 

a concentration of 0.025 micrograms per L (μg/L) 

of water (0.025 ppb) was established for protecting 

human health from water and organism ingestion 

and 2.4 micrograms per L (μg/L) of water (2.4 ppb) 

was determined for consumption of organisms only. 

To limit intake of vinyl chloride through foods to 

levels considered safe, FDA regulates the vinyl 

chloride content of various plastics. These include 

plastics that carry liquids and plastics that contact 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Vinyl Chloride 

CAS#: 75-01-4 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine July 2006 

food. The limits for vinyl chloride content vary 

depending on the nature of the plastic and its use. 

EPA has established a reportable quantity for vinyl 

chloride. If quantities of more than 1 pound 

(0.454 kilograms) are released to the environment, 

the National Response Center of the federal 

government must be told immediately. 

OSHA regulates levels of vinyl chloride in the 

workplace. No employee may be exposed to vinyl 

chloride at levels greater than 1 ppm averaged over 

any 8-hour period or levels greater than 5 ppm 

averaged over any period exceeding 15 minutes. 

NIOSH recommends that the exposure limit (for a 

time-weighted average [TWA]) for vinyl chloride in 

air be the lowest reliably detectable concentration. 

Workers exposed to any measurable amount of it 

must wear special breathing equipment. EPA sets 

emission standards for vinyl chloride and PVC 

plants. The amount of vinyl chloride allowed to be 

emitted varies depending on the type of production 

and the discharge system used. 

1.10 WHERE CAN I GET MORE 

INFORMATION? 

If you have any more questions or concerns, please 

contact your community or state health or 

environmental quality department, or contact 

ATSDR at the address and phone number below. 

ATSDR can also tell you the location of 

occupational and environmental health clinics. 

These clinics specialize in recognizing, evaluating, 

and treating illnesses that result from exposure to 

hazardous substances. 

Toxicological profiles also are available on-line at 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov and on CD-ROM. You can 

request a copy of the ATSDR ToxProfilesTM CDROM by calling the toll-free information and 

technical assistance number at 1-888-42ATSDR (1-

888-422-8737), by e-mailing atsdric@cdc.gov, or 

by writing to: 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

Division of Toxicology and Environmental 

Medicine 

1600 Clifton Road NE 

Mailstop F-32 

Atlanta, GA 30333 

Fax: 1-770-488-4178 

For-profit organizations may request copies of final 

Toxicological Profiles from 

National Technical Information Service (NTIS) 

5285 Port Royal Road 

Springfield, VA 22161 

Phone: 1-800-553-6847 or 1-703-605-6000 

Web site: http://www.ntis.gov/ 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov