Polyresin

Polyresin is a type of synthetic resin that is a hydrocarbon.

Additives can be incorporated into the compound to enhance the material's strength, reduce its weight, add heat stability, decorative effects, and so on. Polyresin is also compatible with a large range of different finishes, including paint and metallic finishes, which is why many decorative pieces are made from this material.

One form of polyresin often used is Alabastrite. It is a stone-based material, easy to sculpt, takes paint well, and has a similar appearance to porcelain and pottery.

Health hazards

Polyresin decorations can release volatile organic compounds such as industrial solvent 1,2-Dichloroethane (DCA) which is known to be a cancer risk due to being carcinogenic.

It is outlawed to use in production in some countries, such as the United States of America, but may still be used in imported objects, which account for the majority of polyresin items sold in the USA. In Canada, polyresin is required to carry a label required by The Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986.

In 2009 a case was reported of moulded plastic consumer products (toys and holiday decorations) from China that released 1,2-dichloroethane into homes at levels high enough to produce cancer risk.

Environmental damage

The vapour given off by polyresin is an environmental pollutant and contributes to the presence of air pollution of urban areas. It is produced in it's largest quantities during manufacturing or by exposing polyresin paint to the air to dry, such as when industrial machinery uses it for road painting, or painted on home walls by some construction companies.

See also

• Polyester resin
• Synthetic resin

References

• Doucette, WJ; Hall, AJ; Gorder, KA (Winter 2010). "Emissions of 1, 2-Dichloroethane from Holiday Decorations as a Source of Indoor Air Contamination". Ground Water Monitoring & Remediation. 30 (1): 67–73. doi:10.1111/j.1745-6592.2009.01267.x. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |last-author-amp= ignored (|name-list-style= suggested) (help)

• Gottlieb, Bill (2015-01-27). "Health-Defense: How to Stay Vibrantly Healthy in a Toxic World". books.google.com. Potter/Ten Speed/Harmony/Rodale. Retrieved 2019-01-26.

• "Toxic Christmas: Plastic Ornaments May Pollute Your Air [page 1of2]". rodale.com. Archived from the original on 5 December 2009. Retrieved 26 January 2019. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

• "Toxic Christmas: Plastic Ornaments May Pollute Your Air [page 2of2]". rodale.com. Archived from the original on 5 December 2009. Retrieved 26 January 2019. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 8 December 2009 suggested (help); Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

• Environmental Protection Agency [USA] (2016-09-27). "Public Health Assessment, Final Release, Vapor Intrusion and Off-Site Irrigation Well, CONTINENTAL CLEANERS, MIAMI, MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, EPA FACILITY, ID: FLD982130098" (PDF). atsdr.cdc.gov. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry] [USA]. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-12-17. Retrieved 2019-01-26. The compound 1,2-dichloroethane is commonly found in polyresin decorations. In an industrial facility in Colorado, elevated levels of the VOC were linked to polyvinyl chloride and vinyl composite floor adhesive that were used in a building remodel [Kurtz et al. 2010].

• "DC Comics Harley Quinn Statue by DC Collectibles". sideshowtoy.com. Archived from the original on 2019-01-26. Retrieved 2019-01-26. Polyresin Warning: Cancer and reproductive harm. For exposures to both listed carcinogens and reproductive toxicants. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 2019-01-14 suggested (help); External link in |quote= (help)

• Kurtz, JP; Wolfe, EM; Woodland, AK; Foster, SJ (Summer 2010). "Evidence for Increasing Indoor Sources of 1,2‐Dichloroethane Since 2004 at Two Colorado Residential Vapor Intrusion Sites". Ground Water Monitoring & Remediation. 30 (3): 107–112. doi:10.1111/j.1745-6592.2010.01296.x. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |last-author-amp= ignored (|name-list-style= suggested) (help)