Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
PVC / resin identification code 3
Water pipes and more. Reported in artery plaque. Rules on how plasticizers (phthalates) may be used.
Main uses
- Water pipes
- Soft products made with plasticizers (hoses, sheets, etc.)
Found in food, water and the human body
- Plaque in the neck artery: found in 31 people (12.1%), averaging 5.2 μg per mg (Marfella et al. 2024; it has been pointed out that PVC measurement by pyrolysis has low specificity)
- Placenta: about 10% by weight (Garcia et al. 2024)
- Tap water: PVC fragments larger than 0.05 mm may have come from water pipes (Mukotaka et al. 2021)
Detailed numbers by food: Tap water
Evaluations of raw materials and additives
- The raw material vinyl chloride (monomer) is IARC Group 1
- The plasticizer DEHP (bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate) is IARC Group 2B
- EFSA (2019): the group TDI for 4 phthalates is 50 μg per kg of body weight per day. Intake from food containers and similar sources is up to 23% of that, even in the worst case
- PVC itself is IARC Group 3
IARC classifications rate the strength of evidence that something can cause cancer, not the size of the risk at everyday amounts.
Japan's standards (utensils, containers and packaging that touch food)
- MHLW Notification No. 370 (PVC): vinyl chloride in the material 1 μg/g or less, dibutyltin compounds 50 μg/g or less, and other limits
- Positive list: DEHP may be used only in PVC and similar materials (material category 4), up to 50%. It may not be used in parts that touch foods high in oils and fats (unless processed so that it does not leach out)
General standards for all synthetic resins: cadmium and lead in the material 100 μg/g or less each, heavy metals migrating (as lead) 1 μg/mL or less, and others. Since June 2020, synthetic resins that touch food have been under a “positive list system” that sets which substances may be used (the transition period ended May 31, 2025). → Rules and regulation
Production in Japan
| Item | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polyvinyl chloride | 1,547,754 t | 1,463,872 t | 1,480,677 t |
Compiled by the Japan Plastics Industry Federation (based on METI's production statistics). This is the amount made in Japan, not the amount used in Japan.
Sources
- Marfella R, et al. N Engl J Med 2024 (PMID 38446676)
- Mukotaka A, et al. Sci Total Environ 2021;790:148231 (PMID 34380239)
- EFSA CEP Panel. EFSA J 2019;17(12):e05838 (phthalates) (PMID 32626195)
- Consumer Affairs Agency: positive list system for utensils, containers and packaging
- Consumer Affairs Agency, standards for utensils, containers and packaging (Notification No. 370, Part 3) (Japanese)
- IARC List of Classifications
- Japan Plastics Industry Federation, statistics (Japanese)
Last checked 2026-10-01. This page is a translation of our Japanese page; if they differ, the Japanese page is the reference.