Risk Evaluation for Vinyl Chloride
EPA designated vinyl chloride as a high priority chemical in December 2024 and the chemical is currently undergoing risk evaluation under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
Find other information about other chemicals undergoing risk evaluations under TSCA.
On this page:
- Background on Vinyl Chloride
- Uses of Vinyl Chloride
- Recent Activities and Opportunities for Public Comment
- Draft Scope and Supporting Documents
Background on Vinyl Chloride
Vinyl chloride (CASRN 75-01-4) is a colorless gas primarily used in the manufacturing and processing of plastic materials like polyvinyl chloride (PVC), plastic resins, and other chemicals. Many of these materials are used for pipes, insulating materials and consumer goods. Information from the 2016 Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) for vinyl chloride indicates the reported production volume is between 10 and less than 20 billion lbs/year.
Vinyl chloride is a known human carcinogen and can cause liver, brain, and lung cancer in exposed workers. Short-term exposure to vinyl chloride can also result in other health effects such as dizziness, nausea, and eye and skin irritation. Vinyl chloride exposure can also damage genetic material in cells, which can lead to numerous adverse health effects. In the 1970s, the White House Council on Environmental Quality and EPA officials raised serious concerns about the health impacts of vinyl chloride. These concerns were the impetus for Congress to write the original TSCA law in 1976 to ensure chemicals were made and used safely.
Uses of Vinyl Chloride
In the draft scope, EPA identified conditions of use associated with the manufacturing (including importing); processing; distribution in commerce; industrial, commercial, and consumer uses; and disposal of vinyl chloride. EPA plans to evaluate manufacturing (including importing); processing; distribution in commerce; industrial, commercial, and consumer uses; and disposal of vinyl chloride in the risk evaluation. EPA identified these conditions of use from information reported to the Agency through the Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) rule, public comments during the prioritization process, and other publicly available data sources including emissions databases, safety data sheets (SDS), published literature, and company websites. EPA generally does not include in the scope of the risk evaluation catastrophic accidents, extreme weather events, and other natural disasters if such events do not lead to regular and predictable exposures associated with a given condition of use. However, such a determination requires a fact-specific, chemical-by-chemical analysis. Thus, EPA would consider including such events in the scope of the risk evaluation if the Agency receives information indicating regular and predictable—reasonably foreseeable—changes in exposures associated with these events.
The conditions of use are ways that a person or the environment could be potentially exposed to this chemical. However, when conducting a risk evaluation, EPA also considers the hazards (i.e., health effects or environmental impacts) that could occur from coming in contact with a chemical.
Recent Activities and Opportunities for Public Comment
In January 2025, EPA published a draft scope document for vinyl chloride, outlining the hazards, exposures, conditions of use, and the potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulations the agency expects to consider in its risk evaluation. EPA will accept public comments on the draft scope document for 45 days following publication in the Federal Register notice via docket EPA-HQ-OPPT-2018-0448 at regluations.gov.
EPA formally designated vinyl chloride as a High-Priority Substance that will undergo a risk evaluation under TSCA in December 2024.
As EPA continues to move through the risk evaluation process there will be additional opportunities for public comment, including a public comment period on the draft risk evaluation. In addition to public comment periods, EPA will continue to engage with stakeholders as it refines the risk evaluation and stakeholders should reach out to EPA via the staff contact to engage with the agency.