Premium
Vinyl chloride in rural water from pre‐1977 applications of PVC pipe
Author(s) -
Carroll William F.,
Eckstein Dave
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of vinyl and additive technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.295
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 1548-0585
pISSN - 1083-5601
DOI - 10.1002/vnl.10263
Subject(s) - vinyl chloride , chloride , materials science , diffusion , monomer , composite material , polymer , metallurgy , thermodynamics , physics , copolymer
In the early 1990s, vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) was found in a rural water system that included poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) pipe manufactured prior to 1977. Because VCM, considered a human carcinogen, was not regulated in pipe until 1977, some pre‐1977 pipes could contain it at significant levels. Manufacturing processes adopted in 1975 and in place by 1977 reduced VCM levels by as much as a factor of 1000. Pipe manufactured by using the newer resin technology does not show detectable VCM migration under any reasonable installation circumstances. Migration of VCM is a function of pipe size, VCM concentration at time of installation, water temperature, and flow rate. History, scientific investigations, and conclusions drawn from field investigations are summarized. Tools for the determination of possible candidate systems, potential noncompliance, and remediation, both short‐term and long‐term, are provided. A spreadsheet‐based computer model of diffusion is described.