Toxins Released from PVC Shower Curtains, Go PVC-Free!
When I read the recent 44 page report on the dangers of the indoor air pollution that PVC shower curtains cause, I was alarmed! Included in this report is a 3.5 page listing of volatile organic compounds released from PVC shower curtains, almost all of the compounds identified have a real chemical/toxic sounding name.
Not only that, but I was also shocked to read how the authors recommended PVC shower curtains be disposed of. “PVC should be treated as a hazardous material. As an interim measure, PVC could be disposed of in “secure” triple-lined hazardous waste landfills.” 1
The Stink on PVC Shower Curtains
“New laboratory tests reveal the familiar “new shower curtain smell” may be toxic to our health. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic shower curtains purchased at Bed Bath & Beyond, Kmart, Sears, Target, and Wal-Mart all contain avoidable toxic chemicals including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), phthalates, organotins and metals.
Some of these chemicals are volatile, so they are released into the air inside our homes. This new study reveals that PVC shower curtains can release as many as 108 volatile organic chemicals. Some of these chemicals cause developmental damage as well as damage to the liver and central nervous, respiratory, and reproductive systems. In addition, some chemicals were found in the air 28 days after a PVC shower curtain was unwrapped and hung. This investigation shows that PVC shower curtains are significant contributors to indoor air pollution.” 2
Our little ones are so vulnerable to all of these harmful toxins. Bath time should be a time to enjoy, not a time to breathe in deadly indoor pollution from outgassing of a shower curtain!
Toxins Released From PVC Shower Curtains
The production of PVC shower curtains involves cancer causing chemicals this report says!
“No Federal standards exist to protect the air in our homes from toxic chemicals released by consumer products. No federal agency has the legal authority to regulate the consumer products that release toxic chemicals into the air inside our homes. Neither the EPA, which regulates the ambient air (USEPA 2008), nor the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which regulates chemicals in consumer products, can do this. Therefore, no standards for toxic chemicals in indoor residential air have been set, despite the fact that studies show VOCs are typically higher in indoor air than outdoor air and are a major health concern. It is clear our chemical regulatory system is broken and needs to be fixed.” 3
Side Effects of Toxins from PVC Shower Curtains
Safe Alternatives to PVC Shower Curtains
Here are a few safe alternatives to toxic PVC shower curtains. Have fun in choosing yours!
- Hemp Shower Curtains: We like this option the best because hemp is a naturally mold resistant fabric.
- Organic Cotton/Cloth/Flax-based Linen Shower Curtains
- EVA Shower Curtains (ethylene vinyl acetate): an alternative plastic
Where to Buy PVC-Free Shower Curtains
Most retailers are now carrying PVC-free shower curtains , but most still carry a variety of PVC ones also. Ikea (by the way) was the first to phase out of this toxic plastic shower curtain over 11 years ago. You can also order your non-toxic shower curtain through our new Safbaby.com store.
Also, we would like to add that vinyl is another way to say PVC. This should further help you in wisely reading all labels. So this article could also be titled the Dangers of Vinyl Shower Curtains . Hope this helps with any confusion that may easily be out there due to clever descriptive wording.
Don’t forget to look for a label that reads “ PVC-free“, and if it does not have it, don’t buy it and don’t support it. Have fun, and don’t forget your PVC-free rubber duckie!
What do you do with your PVC shower curtain?
We asked Mike Schade, PVC Campaign Coordinator for CHEJ (Center for Health, Environment and Justice)
Here is our question: “If I have a PVC/Vinyl shower curtain in my bathroom now, it is over 12 months old and it doesn’t smell, should i throw it away? Is it still toxic or has it already been outgassed? I also don’t want to create more trash if this is an unnecessary throw away now. “
Mike Schade’s answer:
“Good question. As mom always said it’s better to be safe than sorry, so we recommend parents replace their PVC shower curtains with PVC-free ones (even after a year), and instead of clogging it up at the landfill or incinerator, returning it to the store where you purchased it from and ask the store manager or CEO to phase out vinyl.
We don’t really know whether it off-gasses after a year because our study only evaluated off-gassing over a 28-day period. We did find the levels significantly decreased by the 28-day mark, however there’s a chance some chemicals may continue to off-gass beyond that point. For example, given that the shower curtains contain high levels of phthalates, I’d expect those would slowly off-gass over time (slower than the VOCs since they are “semi volatile”).”
Sign the Petition for PVC-Free Shower Curtains!
Demand safer PVC-free products for our homes, families, and communities and sign the petition!
Full Report on PVC Shower Curtains
Read the full report sponsored by the Center for Health, Environment and Justice’s (CHEJ) PVC Campaign and the Work Group for Safe Markets.
Footnotes to PVC Shower Curtain Report
1 Stephen Lester, Michael Schade, Caitlin Weigand, Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ), June 2008, VOLATILE VINYL The New Shower Curtain’s Chemical Smell, p.31.
2 Stephen Lester, Michael Schade, Caitlin Weigand, Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ), June 2008, VOLATILE VINYL The New Shower Curtain’s Chemical Smell, p.5.
3 Stephen Lester, Michael Schade, Caitlin Weigand, Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ), June 2008, VOLATILE VINYL The New Shower Curtain’s Chemical Smell, p.28.
Technorati Tags: PVC shower curtains, PVC, Safe Alternatives to PVC Shower Curtains, PVC-free shower curtains, Ikea, vinyl, Dangers of Vinyl Shower Curtains, PVC-free
Category: 0-1 yr, 1-3 yrs, 3-5 yrs, 5+ yrs, Indoor Air Pollution
Subscribe
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
RSS
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube
Wow! Thank you for posting this. They smell horribly toxic so it’s no wonder they are hazardous to your health. Geez.
Thanks for posting safe alternatives.
Thanks for the info. I found my cloth liner at Wal-Mart. They also carried EVA made liners. I chose a cloth liner based on the additional qualities…..weighted bottom, suction cups on sides, grommets for hanging……but both were priced well.
I must add…..I tried Bed, Bath and Beyond first and found only PVC liners.
I am still concerned about the PVC shower curtain info. that I now am informed with.
I went to buy a 100% PEVA shower curtain at Target, and I opened the package to smell the plastic,
and it still smelled Horrible! The smell was of strong toxic chemicals, and I couldn’t bare to purchase
it. I just can’t believe that it is a safer alternative to my old PVC shower curtain that has been outgassed
and no longer smells. I am confused.
Has there been the same 28 day study on PEVA and EVA as has been done on PVC?
How are we certain that they are truly a safer alternative?
Is this really the most significant household hazard we have to worry about?
In response to Joyce, PEVA is naturally soft and flexible, as opposed to PVC which needs additives to attain these properties. So if you believe the small quantities of phthalates and other softeners that can leach out are likely to cause damage, PEVA may be less likely to leach those chemicals.
Hi Joyce,
Thanks for bringing that to our attention.
Every year, we’re learning more and more about the dangers of different plastics used in consumer products. For instance, as you may be aware, this past year there’s been a lot of attention to bisphenol A, a chemical used to manufacture plastic polycarbonate baby bottles.
We did not “endorse” EVA or PEVA in our report for this very reason.
From the research we’ve seen, EVA and PEVA are preferable to PVC because:
1) They pose fewer lifecycle hazards, in terms of the chemicals used to manufacture them;
2) They are not chlorinated plastics, and therefore are not significant sources of dioxin during production and disposal (as PVC is);
3) We’re not aware of any harmful chemical additives (such as phthalates, organotins, etc.) used to manufacture this plastic.
EVA and PEVA are not perfect though – they’re still petrochemical based plastics – and we need to move away from the toxic petrochemical economy and move towards more sustainably produced products that are safe for workers, communities, consumers, and most importantly infants and children.
It’s clear further research is needed into EVA and PEVA products to determine their safety. Unfortunately, chemicals are not required for safety testing before they’re put on the market. The EPA lacks the regulatory authority to protect us from dangerous chemicals in our home. That’s why they haven’t even been able to ban asbestos, which has a disease named after it!
I’d love to learn more about the brand/design of the curtain of concern. Could you e-mail that to me at mike@chej.org ?
In relation to “what do I do now” – the safest bet would be to look for a curtain made out of cloth such as cotton – organic cotton is preferable since the production of cotton typically involves lots of pesticides.
Best,
Mike Schade, PVC Campaign Coordinator
Center for Health, Environment and Justice
Mike Schade
PVC Campaign Coordinator
The Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ)
9 Murray St. 3rd Fl.
NY, NY 10007
Phone: 212.964.3680
Fax: 212.349.1366
mike@chej.org
http://www.besafenet.com/pvc
http://www.chej.org
Mentoring a movement, empowering people, preventing harm.
Love Canal…30 years later, the journey continues.
Question, I bought some play mats for my 9mth old, From Wal-mart, they say they are made of Ethylene vinyl acetate, but have an odour, are they safe? Thanks for YOur help!
To Joyce and Mike,
I went through all this a few years ago–I first tried a hemp shower curtain because I read that cotton would mildew or mold too easily in a damp environment like the shower. Hemp was supposed to be mildew resistant, but unfortunately after about a year or so my hemp shower curtain had such bad mold spots that they started to eat through the fabric and I had holes. At least it can be composted–but at $90+ for the “Hom” brand curtain at the time, I did not want to be buying one of these each year!
Finally I settled on getting a used nylon one from National Furniture Liquidators (http://nationalfurniture.net/); they resell the used hotel furniture and supplies like sheets and shower curtains when the fancy hotels redecorate. I bought a half dozen for $12, which is quite economical; however, I did go into the store to do this as they are local to me. Maybe you could call them and ask if you can buy a bundle over the phone. A half dozen isn’t all that much anyway–I gave a couple to friends and kept the rest for future use just in case. I also use one on my bed as a mattress protector under my wool protectors (got a toddler sleeping here who’s not quite done potty-learning yet).
Nylon is quite inert and I have never smelled any sort of chemical smell, maybe because it’s used, but I seem to remember that my mom bought a nylon shower curtain at Target once and it did not smell like anything.
Good luck!
Barrie
Does this apply to vinyl tablecloths as well? I am talking about the ones that have the cloth lining underneath. I haven’t been able to dig up much information about those. Thanks for your insight!
Thanks for posting such a wonderful post. It was very interesting.
last night I put up a vinyl shower curtain I bought from the dollar store and the fumes were horrific. I’ve been using these curtains for years and smelled but last night, I experienced many of the side effects listed in the chart in this article. That’s never happened before and scared the daylights out of me. I’m finally starting to feel better but I’ll never use a vinyl shower curtain again and will avoid vinyl products as much as I can. It was horrific. I went to Target and bought a polyester curtain.
It reminds me of when my kids were babies and we used the playtex bottles with the disposable liners. Those had a similar horrific smell and I have to wonder whether they are safe. Even though they smelled bad, I trusted that Playtex wouldn’t put a dangerous product out. I don’t know that the product is or isn’t dangerous but it’s got my curiosity.
It seems like these things definitely need better oversight and regulation. Then again, there are those who shun government intervention.