PVC Flooring, Wallcoverings Widely Used in Homes, New Report Shows

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 20, 2010 A new report on materials used in home products shows that hundreds of different types of PVC flooring and wallcoverings are available on the market, answering consumer’s needs for safe, durable and affordable products for home and business use.

The report, by the Ecology Center, focuses on the ingredients used to make these and other products. According to The Vinyl Institute, the Resilient Floor Covering Institute, and the Wallcoverings Association, most of the test results on PVC products appear to show that these products are being manufactured responsibly, with a commitment to product stewardship.

Most PVC products manufactured or imported into the United States are being made without intentionally added lead or cadmium. Also, many product manufacturing organizations have developed or are developing voluntary certification programs that stipulate avoidance of such metals. A preliminary review of the Center’s data shows that in the vast majority of cases, these metals are not found in the tested PVC products or only in extremely low amounts, in some cases lower even than the safety levels for lead in toys set by recent federal consumer legislation.

Another ingredient found in the PVC products tested by the Center was phthalate plasticizers, added to PVC to make flexible products. For the vast majority of the products, phthalate levels appear not to have been measured. Phthalate-plasticized products have been used for decades and have been thoroughly evaluated for safety by government and independent scientific organizations. They are widely accepted for use in consumer, medical and other types of products.

The Center rates the products it tests, but it adds an important disclaimer, noting the ratings do not provide a measure of health risk or chemical exposure associated with any individual product, or any individual element or related chemical.

PVC is a vital and versatile material that brings value to life. It is the material of choice in critical-care blood bags and medical tubing, pipe delivering clean, safe drinking water, tamper-resistant packaging, insulation protecting building wire, energy-efficient window frames and commercial roofing membranes, durable and easy-to-clean flooring and wallcoverings, and many others.

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