PVC Enclosures - Beware !

[Reticulate]

A simple search on google consisting of the two words "PVC and Cancer" will bring up numerous links. PVC, polyvinyl chloride produces and gives off highly toxic chemicals throughout its lifetime, including mercury and dioxin, which can have irreversibly harmful effects on health. My concern is that heating these enclosures could in-turn cause the outgasing of these chemicals; not a risk I'm willing to take.

Many cage manufacturers are now offering alternative plastics, such as HDPE that is considered safe enough for the food industry, as well as for the environment. PVC, can't even be recycled!

This is just something I wanted to pass along for those interested in their pet's as well as own well-being.

[The Snake Guru]

If I'm not mistaken, the highly toxic chemicals are only produced on the complete breakdown of the material itself, for example burning/melting. Otherwise the compound is pretty stable.

It is being used for water systems almost exclusively through the US, so I'm betting it is pretty safe.

Though not really an issue for myself since I make my own cages...LOL

~B~

[carpondro17]

Ha yea I thought of buying pvc cages before but now I decided to buy herp cages,and vision cages for my chondros. Then I will try and build some cages for my monitors,and maybe some snakes.

[Reticulate]

If I'm not mistaken, the highly toxic chemicals are only produced on the complete breakdown of the material itself, for example burning/melting. Otherwise the compound is pretty stable.

It is being used for water systems almost exclusively through the US, so I'm betting it is pretty safe.

Though not really an issue for myself since I make my own cages...LOL

~B~

As far as the toxins being produced when the material is melted Brad, I too was under that assumption. However, some of the articles that I've been reading have said otherwise. How could these toxins be expelled if the substance isn't broken down? Could be bad media which wouldn't surprise me. Hopefully that is the case and this stuff is pretty stable when not exposed to fire, since there are so many people with these types of cages. Like you stated, PVC pipe is the standard as far as water piping, and this has crossed my mind as well. They also make many of the plastics in the food containment industry from pvc.

I'd personnally like to know more on the subject, so any info is appreciated. It is obviously a whole lot cheaper than the other plastics, but so far not an option for me. I also like the fact that HDPE is a self-extinguishing material.

[The Snake Guru]

Yeah man, I honestly don't know on that one. But if it's true.....well there's going to be serious issues as they are ripping and re-doing all those pipes! LOL

Definitely something to look into further.

~B~

[bebo]

I had a cage builder once tell me this, about the time he was heading towards telling me why his cages were better than the competitions,lol.(he used a different material at the time).

I lean more towards the opint being during a change in state of the material too. There are lots of products we use everyday that would be highly toxic if it was burned or melted instead of its intended use. :eek:

[NorthernRegius.com]

When we redid the plumbing here last summer/fall we used C-PVC to replace old cast iron pipe. This material is different than regular PVC used in lawn sprinklers & is approved for hot & cold household water use. If has a coating to prevent the pipe from off-gassing into the water (especially when hot water is running through it). So I do imagine straight up PVC can off-gas if heated. Fortunately none of my enclosures are made from the stuff. If you have c-pvc pipe in your house, your water should be ok... from the pipe anyways. I'd still run a whole house filler to remove the 100s of other contaminants from it though.

[ffollett]

I work in the irrigation industry and use PVC pipe on a daily basis. I haven't heard of any info other than it being toxic if it burns.

If you have c-pvc pipe in your house, your water should be ok... from the pipe anyways.

Most new homes have PVC running from the water meter to the house. It goes from PVC to CPVC once it gets to the home since CPVC isn't toxic when it burns.