A recent article published by BobVila.com contained a false and misleading claim about PVC. We contacted the editors of BobVila.com to inform them of the error so that it could be corrected and readers wouldn't be further misled. Unfortunately, they didn’t respond to our request. It is disappointing when media outlets betray the trust of their readers by leaving factual errors in print after they have been brought to the attention of the editors. At Vinyl Verified, we’re committed to making sure that the public has the facts. That’s why we’re publishing the correction we sent to BobVila.com:
Kathleen Corlett
Editor-in-Chief
BobVila.com
Dear Ms. Corlett,
It has come to our attention that a recent article published by BobVila.com [“The Best Shower Mats to Prevent Slips in the Bathroom”] contains an incorrect statement about vinyl and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
The story makes the following claim:
“However, both vinyl and PVC raise the potential for health concerns, typically when people are exposed to vinyl chloride in high amounts. So, weigh the risks and benefits before purchasing a shower mat made of these materials.”
The suggestion that “vinyl and PVC raise the potential for health concerns” is false. The story links to a National Cancer Institute webpage on vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), which is not the same as PVC. This misleads readers by incorrectly conflating vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) with PVC. To ensure readers are not further misled, we request that this statement be removed immediately.