The PVC Pipe Association Publishes Report on Health and Safety, Environment Performance of PVC Pipes

PlasticsWatch

Health and Safety

As written in the PVC Pipe Association’s report The Health, Safety and Environmental Performance of PVC Pipes, PVC pipes have a proven 70-year track record of safety in water and sewer infrastructure. All ingredients are publicly listed, approved for use and individually tested by, ensuring PVC meets all required health and safety standards as regulated by the U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act, Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality and other international statutes.

Unlike some pipe materials, PVC contains no toxic metals like lead, chromium or cadmium that can leach into water supplies and there are no know per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) associated with PVC pipe production. Though small amounts of dioxins are produced during PVC resin manufacturing. The dioxins released are much lower than what is released when manufacturing other pipe materials, with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reporting dioxin emissions released by an iron pipe foundry to be six times as high as that of a PVC resin manufacture. Additionally dioxin emissions from industrial manufacturing have dropped 90% since 1987 as while PVC manufacturing increased by over 300%.

The organotin stabilizers used are certified safe, and PVC’s corrosion resistance prevents contaminants from entering water. Its smooth inner walls don’t deteriorate, eliminating microplastics and maintaining superior hydraulic performance over its 100+ year lifetime.

PVC’s light-weight, leak-free joints and low break rates enhance worker safety during installation and reduce maintenance risks. Over 50,000 water utilities with 2.5 million miles of pipe in North America and over 10 million water quality tests confirm that PVC as the safest choice for clean water delivery.

Environmental Performance

Based on life cycle analysis (LCA) following ISO standards, PVC pipe presents as the most sustainable piping solution when compared to materials including iron, steel, concrete, clay, polyethylene and fiberglass.

PVC has the smallest carbon footprint of any piping material. A study by McKinsey found PVC sewer pipes have 35% lower greenhouse gas emissions than ductile iron, and 45% less than reinforced concrete. For water pipes, it takes twice the energy to make iron pipe versus PVC.

With the lowest total embodied energy use, PVC aligns with circular economy principles by maximizing efficiency and minimizing waste. Its natural corrosion resistance eliminates the need for added chemical treatments that can harm the environment.

Virtually no PVC pipe waste goes to landfills, as manufacturing scrap is reused. Even after over 100 years of use, PVC is recyclable into new pipe up to eight times. With this sustainability profile, the PVC industry can leverage renewable energy to continually reduce its carbon footprint.

Additionally, PVC pipe manufacturing is powered by the electrical grid rather than coal or petroleum coke that is required for metallic and cement pipe manufacturing. The use of the electrical grid gives manufacturers opportunities to further reduce their carbon footprint through renewable energy sources such as wind or solar power.

Low lifetime costs from reduced pumping, maintenance and replacement further enhance PVC’s economic and environmental benefits when compared to alternatives that are prone to leaks, breaks and corrosion.

As stated by the PVC Pipe Association report, PVC combines superior safety, long service life and minimal environmental impacts to make it the ideal choice for cost-effective, sustainable and safe water infrastructure.

Find the full report, The Health, Safety, and Environmental Performance of PVC Pipe, at www.uni-bell.org

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