Vinyl chloride is a colorless gas that is used primarily to make polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a hard plastic resin used to make a variety of plastic products, including pipes, wire and cable coatings, and packaging materials. PVC is not a known or suspected carcinogen. Vinyl chloride is also used to make plastic kitchenware, vehicle upholstery, and consumer goods. In addition, it has been used in the past as a refrigerant, as an extraction solvent for heat-sensitive materials, in the production of chloroacetaldehyde, as an aerosol propellant, and in drugs and cosmetic products. However, these uses were banned in the United States by the Environmental Protection Agency. Vinyl chloride can also be formed in the environment when soil organisms break down "chlorinated" solvents. It is found in measurable quantities near manufacturing and processing plants, hazardous waste sites, and landfills. Higher than normal levels of vinyl chloride may be present inside new cars as the chemical evaporates from new vinyl products.