Industry documents show PVC particle risks known since the 1970s
Original title: Industry Knew for Decades That Microplastics Could Infiltrate Human Bodies
A 1974 study found ingested PVC reached animal organs within two hours, and later internal memos cited it as a horror story.
Reporting based on litigation documents archived at UCSF and Columbia says chemical-industry scientists long knew ingested plastic particles could reach organs. At a 1974 meeting, Gerhard Volkheimer presented work in which PVC bits fed to dogs, pigs, and other animals reached liver, brain, lungs, and other tissues within two hours. A 1975 Union Carbide memo called the study a "horror story" on ingesting PVC resin. The American Chemistry Council disputes claims that the industry stayed silent.
Unconfirmed: Harm from plastic particles themselves is still poorly understood, and tissue findings are contested.
- Volkheimer also found potato starch later appeared in human blood and breast milk.
- Tracey Woodruff of Stanford said companies knew and stayed silent.
- Craig Davis of the American Chemistry Council called that scientific debate, not silence.
- Modern detections of microplastics in human tissue are contested and error-prone.
From the original article
2 min read at e360.yale.edu
The chemical industry has known for decades that ingested microplastic particles can reach vital organs, an investigation has found. While scientists are just starting to understand how microplastics accumulate in the human body and what harm they may inflict, documents reveal that industry scientists have long been aware of the risks, according to reporting from the Los Angeles Times .
By YaleE360 · e360.yale.edu
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