This durable plastic can be found just about anywhere: in your shower curtain, raincoat, or baby's toys. It's used for a range of construction materials, including siding, flooring, and pipes, as well as for products such as textiles and medical supplies-it's convenient, easy to work with, and cheap. Unfortunately, PVC is also a danger to human health and the environment. It releases dioxin, a highly potent carcinogen, during production and disposal; and phthalates used to treat PVC to make it flexible can leach out and have toxic health effects. Many companies have ceased using PVC in their products, and more and more consumers are discarding vinyl in favor of safer alternatives such as rubber, linoleum, wood, and glass, to name a few. Also called polyvinyl chloride (PVC). For more on plastics, click here.

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