Genetic risks of vinyl chloride

Abstract

A study of pregnancy outcome among wives of workers exposed to vinyl-chloride monomer (V.C.M.) indicated that, in comparison with controls, there was a significant excess fetal loss in the group whose husbands had a primary exposure to V.C.M., whereas no differences between the groups were observed before the husband's exposures. The difference in fetal death-rates for the post-exposure comparisons was a reflection of a greater fetal loss associated with the wives younger-aged husbands. The significant excess did not seem to be the result of bias from interviewers, respondents, nor from women who had experienced chronic abortions weighting the results. These findings, in conjunction with the demonstration of a mutagenic response via microbial test systems and with observations of significant excesses of chromosomal aberrations among workers exposed to V.C.M., raise scientific and public-health concern for the possible genetic risks of V.C.M. to man.