# Health affects of breathing in heated vinyl.



## dschwarz

Vinyl releases cancer causing toxins when heated up. I have a vinyl cutter and heat press and I'm seriously considering getting my shirts screen printed from now on. The vinyl we use to make shirt designs is the same chemical make up as PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) which is widely known to be extremely dangerous and cancer causing.

Here's some more very important information: How to Find and Avoid Toxic Vinyl (PVC) in Your Home | Greenpeace


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## Jarod

To be honest with you, I wouldn't worry about it at all. I haven't heard of anyone dieing, or getting cancer from vinyl printing. However, if you do want to worry, and start screen printing... here is this article about how bad screen printing can be for you, enjoy! http://www.uic.edu/sph/glakes/harts1/HARTS_library/silkscrn.txt


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## MAXDesign

dschwarz said:


> Vinyl releases cancer causing toxins when heated up. I have a vinyl cutter and heat press and I'm seriously considering getting my shirts screen printed from now on. The vinyl we use to make shirt designs is the same chemical make up as PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) which is widely known to be extremely dangerous and cancer causing.
> 
> Here's some more very important information: How to Find and Avoid Toxic Vinyl (PVC) in Your Home | Greenpeace


If you believed and followed all the advice on the news/ websites/ newspapers etc, you would never leave your bed in the morning...everything you eat/ drink/ use supposedly gives you cancer of one form or another. My advice is to do what you enjoy and live your life. Bit deep I know, but hey...


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## Jarod

MAXDesign said:


> If you believed and followed all the advice on the news/ websites/ newspapers etc, you would never leave your bed in the morning...everything you eat/ drink/ use supposedly gives you cancer of one form or another. My advice is to do what you enjoy and live your life. Bit deep I know, but hey...


100% Agree


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## tiger24

dschwarz said:


> Vinyl releases cancer causing toxins when heated up. I have a vinyl cutter and heat press and I'm seriously considering getting my shirts screen printed from now on. The vinyl we use to make shirt designs is the same chemical make up as PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) which is widely known to be extremely dangerous and cancer causing.
> 
> Here's some more very important information: How to Find and Avoid Toxic Vinyl (PVC) in Your Home | Greenpeace


Dominick,

I started reading the link you gave from Greenpeace.

What I got out of the article is that the PVC has to start burning and going on fire releasing these agents you describe.

Thanks for the warning but I think we'll be all right.


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## Jarod

tiger24 said:


> Dominick,
> 
> I started reading the link you gave from Greenpeace.
> 
> What I got out of the article is that the PVC has to start burning and going on fire releasing these agents you describe.
> 
> Thanks for the warning but I think we'll be all right.


You don't light your vinyl on fire? Am I doing something wrong?


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## tiger24

Jarod said:


> You don't light your vinyl on fire? Am I doing something wrong?


Jarod LOL!

Take it easy and press on!


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## MAXDesign

Jarod said:


> You don't light your vinyl on fire? Am I doing something wrong?


Nice one


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## GordonM

I work with PVC all day long, every day. While it's not terrific on the environment, the health issues are related to its manufacture and disposal, and the dangerous fumes when it *burns*. As long as the PVC does not ignite you're okay. Warming it for application to a garment is not a specific danger, as long as it doesn't burn.

You will instantly know the plastic has reached its burning point when you smell very acrid and noxious hydrogen chloride gas. It is a *very* strong chlorine smell. If the plastic burns in front of you it'll clear your sinuses real quick. Air out the area immediately, and if you got a good dose of it, seek medical attention.

The secondary effects of burning PVC is that when the HCl gas hits the moisture in the atmosphere it produces hydrochloric acid. In time it'll corrode everything.

Some PVC vinyls (and screen printing inks for that matter) may also contain phthalates, which in the US are illegal to sell applied to garments for consumption by children 12 and under. The phthalates makes the PVC flexible.


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## JoshEllsworth

dschwarz said:


> Vinyl releases cancer causing toxins when heated up. I have a vinyl cutter and heat press and I'm seriously considering getting my shirts screen printed from now on. The vinyl we use to make shirt designs is the same chemical make up as PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) which is widely known to be extremely dangerous and cancer causing.
> 
> Here's some more very important information: How to Find and Avoid Toxic Vinyl (PVC) in Your Home | Greenpeace


The vast majority of heat transfer films on the market in this day and age do not contain PVC and are polyurethane based. MSDS sheets are available from most manufacturers and/or CPSIA compliancy or OekoTex certification to show independent lab approval of the materials for use and wear. Most large factories using heat transfer films also have the material taken through additional testing as well, so this is available for some brands. Ask your heat transfer film manufacturer for a list of products that meet the standards you are looking for.


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## KEB

There are heat transfer materials available that do not contain PVC's. Stahls' Thermo-FILM is one of them. PVC's have been a health concern for years in Europe. There are many cuttable heat transfer films available that have "greener" qualities.


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## JohnWisc

Good topic.

Josh...any idea if there's any info with regards to the vinyl AND the release paper (since it is closer to the heat source)? I think both could be an issue, chemically. 

I know I may slightly over press my vinyl and generally do see a bit of an "iron stain" which has always washed out with the first washing. To me, that's not necessarily just more water vapor from the shirt (maybe it's the shirt's dye??). I probably should just test a bit more to see how little I can get away with and still have a very durable application.

FWIW, I do use a piece of parchment on top of the vinyl during application as well as after peeled and give it one more 5 second press which, too could be leaving a bit of film as I understand it to be silicone on that parchment paper. My reasoning was to avoid giving the plastic backing direct heat from the platen as well as to "dull" the finish of the vinyl a bit.

I'd be a lot less concerned if I wasn't working in my basement with basically no venting (probably combining with radon and whatever else is doing us in ).


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## babytronic

Love some of these replies guys  made me chuckle...


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## AbbeyM

dschwarz said:


> Vinyl releases cancer causing toxins when heated up. I have a vinyl cutter and heat press and I'm seriously considering getting my shirts screen printed from now on. The vinyl we use to make shirt designs is the same chemical make up as PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) which is widely known to be extremely dangerous and cancer causing.
> 
> Here's some more very important information: How to Find and Avoid Toxic Vinyl (PVC) in Your Home | Greenpeace


I used heat transfer vinyl in my t-shirt printing business for 10+ yrs and got 95% estrogen positive stage 4 breast cancer. I looked into it and def. see my daily heat pressing as being a powerful contributor to my diagnosis.


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## webtrekker

The alternative ...










Protects eyes and breathing tackle from noxious particles and fumes.


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## into the T

as was mentioned in 2013, the vast majority of htv is polyurethane
you have to really search for pvc transfer vinyl, and it is labeled as 'pvc'

but even if it was pvc, it is the actual combustion that really creates the noxious clouds
simply heating to 300f for 10-15 secs is not the same
but i still would not recommend using it, it feels terrible on garments (like a plastic toy was melted onto the tee)

stahls still sells pvc htv (although they are discontinuing this line of htv)
if there was any question as to its hazardousness, stahls would have kayboshed this htv ages ago

i have attached an msds for a pvc htv if anyone is curious


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## LancerFlorida

For you, this is the right decision.
But, screen printing is not the magic pill either.
The moral to the story is: "It is NEVER a good idea to inhale foreign substances."
Whether it water vapor from a T dyed in India or China or pre-treatment made in the USA....keep the vapor out of your lungs.
Focus on building a robust body. (Train dirty)
Stop the 'get fatter' craziness. (Eat clean)
Then one is more able to endure the known and unknown factors that are destined to kill us all.


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