Claims Journal recently published an article about chemical exposure in structure fires that made some misleading claims about PVC. When we contacted them to correct the error, they didn’t respond. We are publishing our correction request here so that readers have the facts about this important issue.
A recent piece published by Claims Journal contains a misleading claim about PVC. It asserts that “[dioxins] are formed when products containing carbon and chlorine are burned, such as plastics containing PVC.”
This statement falsely suggests that PVC is a driving source of dioxin emissions in structure fires. This is not true. Dioxin is a byproduct of nearly every burned material. Wood, prominently found in most (if not all) homes, emits a considerable number of toxins when burned, including dioxin. This was not noted in your story.
Readers of Claims Journal expect they will be given an accurate and balanced presentation of the facts. The implication that PVC is the primary source of dioxin in a structure fire fails this standard. We ask that you remove this statement from the piece so that your readers are not further misled.