Is The PVC in Anime Figures Toxic?
Polyvinyl chloridem, aka PVC, is a substance used in not just anime figures, but in many items from siding, fencing, computer cords and wires, as well as various car parts. Today CNN put this scary and rather misleading article on PVC right slab on their from page. There are truths and some exaggerations in any scares about PVC. Let's clear the air about it.
A while back I posted an article about poisonous bootleg anime jewelery,complements of China and the anime bootleg capital of the world, Hong Kong. (actually, it was the last thing I put here on figure.fm ^^;; sorry, I'll make more positive posts soon), Those items had very high levels of lead and other chemicals, but even with their high levels, the only way to get poisoned would be to keep the items in your mouth for a descent period of time...though some people do put necklaces and such in their mouth as a nervous tick and is indeed a health issue to worry about. Either way, those items have thankfully been banned at the dismay of the Hong Kong bootleggers.
But what about PVC figures? Well, polyvinyl chloridem, when created or burned, creates toxic byproducts in the form of dioxins. In other words, in order for that cute Nendoroid figure to suddenly turn into a little chibi bringer of cancer and death...you have to practically burn it and inhale the gas.
I'll be frank, I'm an anime store owner and this news could effect my business (as well as countless others)..but only if people take it the wrong way and get freaked out by it. There is much fear out there over everything we use, eat and interact with. Did you know that your water bottle seeps out a bit of oil toxins from the plastic it's made out of?..or that your iPhone probably is sending out microwaves that can be harmful if you hold it against your head 24/7? PVC, like any building material needs to be treated as such, a building material. Those who make it need to keep themselves safe from the toxic byproducts of it's creation and us consumers...should never take the material, burn it and inhale their fumes.
Just have some common sense... don't suddenly think your computer mouse, the siding on your house, and your anime figures are out there to kill you. The fast food we all put in our mouths here in the US is far more toxic than some cute anime figure girl...1) because we are not suppose to eat PVC and 2) because our fast food has become far too abundant and socially acceptable to just intake with no remorse. Now if a factory making PVC doesn't get rid of the toxic byproducts in a correct and safe manner and they let the toxins cause say an anime figure to be toxic at the touch (or smell) than those factories need to be shut down and those products recalled.
That's what Dollfie Dreams are made of. PVC. Just don't burn yours.
I so need to talk to Volks about stocking (and keeping ^^) those Dollfie Dreams figures. Yeah, basically, don't burn your figures and you are fine. I just hope CNN doesn't make people too scared or something ^^;;
Not just dollfies, but yeah... all our anime figures and stuff are made out of PVC... :(
Even if you aren't burning them, they naturally off-gas, which is poisonous to your health.
Fortunately, the quantity is pretty minimal.
I wrote an article a long time ago about the differences in plastics (PVC, ABS, Resin and such) feel free to read it if you're interested. It's probably one of my most-read articles.
http://radiantdreamer.wordpress.com/2008/02/25/differences-in-plastics-abs-pvc-vinyl-resin-polystone-oh-my/
wow, great article ^_^ that's a must read.
I just take CNN's (or any media report for that matter..) with a grain of salt.
Anime figures aren't meant to be swallowed or ingested anyway. ^;
Oh yah,.. how could Hong Kong be a bootleg capital for anime? iirc, it's the 2nd (or 3rd..) best place for the anime fans after Akihabara..
Last time I went there, most shops sell authentic anime items...
but not to say it's bootleg free.. There were indeed some fake anime figs last time i went there.
oops, sorry if I offended any Hong Kong fans. That comment is mainly from my experience buying/selling on ebay...if the seller is from Hong Kong...you have a 90% chance of getting a bootleg. I woul still love to visit there for some anime shopping (for stuff I can't get from my own business ^^;;)
Well mainly, China contains both the main production establishments of most products today - including our beloved Max Factory and such - AND bootlegs.
Just sounds like CNN has lost its information value each time they present something - with the main goal of making it so uber dramatic news instead of just news/information. Like one certain news article I remember from CNN about Japan's Hentai culture, the reporter Kyung Lah, of course being Korean (I'm just saying) makes it look so bad like omg they have porn everywhere (which country doesn't) about japan - even starting to state things that aren't true anymore. Just ridiculous at some point. On a side note - remember when ppl where saying that everything, and i mean everything can cause cancer.
Main point, we just have to not burn our precious figures and dolfies :]
Not to mention, "nothing" can cause Cancer as well...
Kyung Lah is a conservative AND Korean Tokyo-based international correspondent for CNN.
Even I am (as a Korean) very discomfortable with Kyung Lah and CNN Lefties bashing Japanese culture.
agreed..the whole Rapelay crap that CNN was doing recently was such a pain. I'm not for Rapelay but it became a whole Japan and anime bashing session by the main stream media.
I don't know about you guys, but I simply love the "new figure smell" when you open up the box of a brand new 1/8. (^.^;)
Recently, I've also become kind of a hypochondriac, but have soon realized that one cannot live in fear... This way, the quality of life and enjoyment level will be severely affected.
Moral of the story: Sure we may die, but when that happens, let's die with our beautiful PVC girls in our arms and a smile on our faces.
Amen to that!
Halleluja o/
amen to that x2 ^^
I'm not sure about deliberately smelling the new figures though. You could be shaving off hours of your life by doing that ^^;
The only poison in anime figures is the kind you can't cure....OBSESSION! ^_^
oh noes...she's eating PVC 0_0
Whats toxic is bisphenol-A (BPA) a chemical softening agent used on PVC and most other plastics. Their are some very real risks involved with using this chemical on premature children do to the lack of a functional liver.
HOWEVER this cause of the risk has to do with dosing. Most of the children in these studies are preemies under 5 lbs. They are in constant contact with medical supplies which have been statuary with BPA to make them as soft as possible 24. All food, medicine and often air passes through these tubes resulting in a constant high dose of BPA. This is the only time that BPA has ever been linked to toxicy. In an adults or even children your body weight and functional liver and kidneys will dilute, pass or degrade BPA before it can have a effect.
cirno news network
CNN is starting to sound like Fox >_>
STARTING TO? They've been Faux Noise Lite for years. Remember, that's where Lou Dobbs and Glenn Beck got their starts. It's Auntie Beeb for me. They really do take great pains to be fair and balanced, instead of just using it as a (disingenuous) ad slogan.
Good point. CNN is definitely like those idiots on Fox News as of late -_-
If we are to call PVC toxic, that only means that we should call ALL kinds of coloring agents such as everyday crayons, watercolor, paint toxic as well. It's merely a matter of preventing your figures to be heated and such.
I'll still buy figurines if they're nice and made out of nuclear waste =\
To my understanding, they would only release toxins if burned, and I don't think most people use them as kindling. Of course, in some cases their kawaii levels are almost carcinogenic of themselves.... (^ω^)
lol, so true XD
damn it, this is got me so nervous, maybe its just bc im being paranoid
paranoid you should be, and all my research I think that we have been ripped off. Making our beautiful figurines we love so much out of the most deadliest poisonous plastic on earth, dioxins released from PVC is the number one most poisonous thing instruments can measure. That PVC smell is outgassing.. Great they're selling us massive chunks of poison plastic. The workers in the factories are having problems of all kinds of diseases. And they're pushing hundreds and hundreds of thousands of tons of dioxins into our atmosphere. PVC is already banned in many places for obvious reasons. There should be enough complaints more than we see here. To get the companies to change to a safe material. They can do it.. It's all about money as they obviously don't care about employees or you and I.. I say spread the word.or keep letting small amounts of toxic outgassing eat away at you. we've been ripped off.. And that's all there is to it
don't let anyone tell you they're safe. Whoever does just wants to sell the product,, and if someone else says they're safe there just not caring and making jokes. It's poison and that's just what it is. There are other plastics which would make much better choices. So the companies showed switch. Instead of using the cheaper toxic PVC.
thats a good point, i dont see why they cant use higher quality plastics other than the fact its cheaper, people really should do something