Vinyl Chloride Bones

A small percentage of individuals occupationally exposed to high levels of vinyl chloride in air have developed a set of symptoms termed vinyl chloride disease which is characterized by raynaud s phenomenon fingers blanch and numbness and discomfort are experienced upon exposure to the cold changes in the bones at the end of the fingers.

Vinyl chloride bones.

Vinyl chloride is an organochloride with the formula h 2 c chcl that is also called vinyl chloride monomer vcm or chloroethene this colorless compound is an important industrial chemical chiefly used to produce the polymer polyvinyl chloride pvc. What is vinyl chloride. High levels of vinyl chloride in the air also lead to blanching of fingers numbness discomfort changes in the bones at the end of the fingers joint and muscle pain and scleroderma like skin changes such as thickening of the skin decreased elasticity and slight edema. Vinyl chloride monomer.

J toxicol environ health. Repeated exposure can damage the skin scleroderma bones acro osteolysis and blood vessels in the hand raynaud s syndrome scleroderma is characterized by a hardening and tightening of patches of skin. Viola pl bigotti a caputo a. Toxicity of vinyl chloride and polyvinyl chloride as seen through epidemiologic observations.

It does not occur naturally and must be produced industrially for its commercial uses. These exposures have resulted in what has been called vinyl chloride disease a syndrome consisting of raynaud s phenomenon blanching numbness and discomfort of the fingers upon exposure to cold degeneration of the fingertip bones acroosteolysis joint and muscle pain and stiffness of the hands with skin changes. However it can be formed in the environment when other manufactured substances such as trichloroethylene trichloroethane and tetrachloroethylene are broken down by certain microorganisms. Pvc is used to make a variety of plastic products including pipes wire and cable coatings and packaging materials.

Vinyl chloride is a colorless gas that burns easily. Oncogenic response of rat skin lungs and bones to vinyl chloride. Wagoner jk infante pf apfeldorf rb. About 13 billion kilograms are produced annually.

Vinyl chloride is primarily used to make polyvinyl chloride to manufacture plastics. Vinyl chloride is used primarily to make polyvinyl chloride pvc.