FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 04/22/2026
MEDIA CONTACT: Edder Díaz Martínez, Communications Director, 602-832-6039, [email protected]
New resource spotlights vinyl chloride health risks and water contamination as federal regulators designate microplastics a priority drinking water concern for the first time
WASHINGTON — Plastic is everywhere—in food packaging, medical devices, and even cosmetics. While chemical companies often promote plastic as a cheap and durable material, many plastics pose serious health risks. One of the most concerning is vinyl chloride, a key chemical used to make PVC (polyvinyl chloride), which has been linked to a range of health impacts, including increased risks of liver, brain, and lung cancers.
The launch of pvcwatch.org coincides with growing federal recognition of the plastics crisis. On April 2, the EPA for the first time designated microplastics as a priority contaminant group in its draft Sixth Contaminant Candidate List under the Safe Drinking Water Act – a step the agency called “historic” and which opens a 60-day public comment period through June 1.
This Earth Month, GreenLatinos is spotlighting the harmful impacts of PVC and microplastics through pvcwatch.org, a new educational resource dedicated to raising awareness about the health and environmental dangers associated with PVC and related chemicals.
The website includes:
- A risk map highlighting regions across the United States that are disproportionately impacted by PVC exposure
- An overview of common household items that contain PVC, to which families—including children—are routinely exposed
- A closer look at how PVC production is exacerbating water contamination and scarcity in communities across the country, including context on the EPA’s recent designation of microplastics as a priority drinking water contaminant for the first time
- Information on the links between chemical manufacturing facilities and exposure risks in vulnerable communities
Environmental advocates, public health experts, and community leaders alike are increasingly concerned about the growing body of evidence linking PVC to harm. This issue is also gaining attention among parents and caregivers seeking to reduce toxic exposures in their homes.
GreenLatinos is particularly concerned about the disproportionate impact on Latino/a/e communities, many of which are located near industrial and petrochemical facilities and face elevated exposure risks as a result.
“Having resources like PVCWatch.org provides our communities with the necessary information about vinyl chloride and other chemicals used in plastic production. The risk map highlights that this is a widespread issue affecting communities across the United States. As we address our country’s aging water infrastructure, we must ensure that infrastructure solutions do not create new burdens for communities already living near plastic production facilities.” - Dr. Val Schull, GreenLatinos Water & Ocean Program Director
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About GreenLatinos
NOTE: GreenLatinos is ONE WORD. GreenLatinos convenes an active comunidad of environmental, conservation, and climate justice leaders rooted in the power and wisdom of our culture, united to uplift our priorities, and driven to secure our political, economic, cultural, and environmental liberation.
GreenLatinos (NOTA: GreenLatinos es UNA PALABRA) es una comunidad activa de líderes latinos/a/e, envalentonados por el poder y la sabiduría de nuestra cultura, unidos para exigir equidad y desmantelar el racismo, con recursos para ganar nuestra justicia ambiental, batallas de conservación, climáticas e impulsados a asegurar nuestra liberación política, económica, cultural y ambiental.
