Volatile chlorinated compound
Vinyl chloride
Vinyl chloride is used to manufacture PVC and can also form underground when TCE, PCE, and related solvents break down.
Environmental behavior
Persistence and movement
It is highly volatile but can remain in contaminated groundwater and migrate as soil vapor.
Pathways
How exposure may occur
- Breathing contaminated workplace air or vapor intrusion
- Drinking contaminated water
People
Potential long-term human effects
- Long-term exposure is associated with liver cancer, including hepatic angiosarcoma.
- It can also affect the liver, nervous system, circulation, and other organs.
Other living systems
Potential ecological effects
- Vinyl chloride can harm aquatic organisms at sufficient concentrations.
- It usually does not strongly bioaccumulate because it is volatile and metabolized.
Limits
Important uncertainty
A vinyl-chloride detection may represent either direct historical use or breakdown of another chlorinated solvent.