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<h4 class="dechead">On One Hand: PVC Pipes Leach Chemicals
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes leach chemicals into drinking water, especially at high temperatures. During their production, additives ranging from hormone-disrupting phthalates and bisphenol A to toxic lead and organotin are added to PVC piping. When hot water is used in PVC pipes, there is more of a chance of chemical leaching into the water the pipes carry.
On the Other: PVC Is Anti-Microbial
One thing you won't find in PVC pipes is bacteria. They are so smooth and inert that microbe communities and their biofilm ecosystems cannot survive within them (corrosive or rough pipes may see the growth of everything from e. coli to micrococcus).
Bottom Line
Add the toxins released into wild and human environments by PVC manufacture to the already long list of toxins capable of leaching into drinking water through pipes, and you may run screaming each time you see one poking its white head above ground. However, PVC pipes are commonly used because they are a flexible, so not likely to break, and anti-microbial. If they are not connected to hot water supplies, they shouldn't raise drastic, immediate health safety concerns.
Source:
Safe Water and Health Council: Safe Water Delivered Safely
Clean Water Pipe Council: PVC Pipe: Health Issues
Department of Human Services: PVC: A major source of phthalates
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