PVC4Pipes (Brussels; www.pvc4pipes.com) said a report by US-based NGO Beyond Plastics (Bennington College, Bennington, Vermont; www.beyondplastics.org) claiming that PVC pipes were unsafe for drinking water was based on “outdated and demonstrably misleading information.”

The report recommends that copper should be used instead of PVC by utilities as many US cities and states replace lead water pipes. The non-profit group Beyond Plastics has received waves of criticism from the plastics industry, its advocates, and some scientific experts since publishing the report.

PVC4Pipes argued that from a European perspective, PVC pipe manufacturing is safe if strict regulations are in place to limit emissions of vinyl chloride and dioxins. It denied assertions that PVC pipes contain plasticisers and insisted that such products actually preserve drinking water quality.

The industry group also pointed to the potential negative environmental and health effects of copper mining and production, which include dioxin emissions, land degradation, deforestation, and water and air pollution. In contrast, PVC has been shown to have a much lower environmental footprint, it claimed.

“It is well known that PVC pipes do not corrode even after decades of use,” the group said, noting that the conduits are not susceptible to tuberculation, a form of internal corrosion and bio-film contamination which can be a breeding ground for bacteria.

It noted that the issue of dioxin as a by-product of PVC production can be resolved, as seen from the European example of following tight regulations, using improved technologies, and changing industrial practices.