Volume CXXXIII, Number 16 February 27, 2004

Did You Know?: PVC plastic pollutes planet
KEISHA PAYSON
CONTRIBUTOR

Did you know that polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a common substance used in medical supplies and building construction, is the subject of environmental and health concerns? One of the byproducts of PVC production and incineration is dioxin, a known carcinogen.

Bowdoin College will be screening the documentary film Blue Vinyl on Thursday March 4th at 7:00 p.m. in Smith Auditorium of Sills Hall. This award-winning film looks at the seemingly harmless and widely used PVC in a new light. With humor and a piece of vinyl siding firmly in hand, Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Judith Helfand investigates polyvinyl chloride (PVC), the world's second-largest selling plastic. Her parents' decision to re-side their house with this seemingly benign cure-all for suburban homes turns into a toxic odyssey revealing the relationship between consumers and industry.

The problem? PVC use produces persistent organic pollutants that enter the food chain and end up in our bodies.

The film looks at the production of PVC, which is used in vinyl siding, vinyl flooring, piping, windows, electrical insulation, medical equipment, cloth, and children's toys. PVC additives such as lead, cadmium, and chlorine can be released into the air and water in the areas where PVC factories are located and cause severe medical problems for those who are exposed. In fact, toy companies in the United States have voluntarily stopped producing PVC toys for children under the age of three, due to the health risks associated with the children chewing on the PVC. Other major companies have also banned PVC, switching to healthier alternatives. Among them include Honda, General Motors, IKEA, and The Body Shop. Daimler-Benz and Nike also have plans to phase out the use of PVC in the near future. And the 2000 Olympics in Sydney banned the use of PVC in the construction of all its athletic facilities.

Come out next Thursday night as Helfand introduces the movie. She will do a Q&A after the film.

Blue Vinyl was the winner of the 2002 Sundance Film Festival Documentary Cinematography award and was nominated for two Emmy Awards, Best Documentary and Best Research. Helfand's film has received awards at film festivals all over the country.

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