The influence of relatively nontoxic thermal stabilizers including different types of organic calcium complex (Ca/Zn system of liquid stabilizers) and organotin on photodegradation of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) was investigated by color difference measurement, viscosity-average molecular weight determination, UV-vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. PVC films containing relatively nontoxic thermal stabilizers were prepared by solution casting and then exposed to xenon-arc light source with the irradiance of 0.51 W/(m(2).nm) at 65 degrees C. Two major chain processes, photodehydrochlorination and photo-oxidation, occur simultaneously during photodegradation of PVC. It has been confirmed by both color difference and UV-vis spectra that during the former 300 h of irradiation, organic calcium complex stabilizers retard photodehydrochlorination as well as initial color development of PVC films while organotin stabilizers remarkably accelerate photodehydrochlorination after 100 h. Relative carbonyl index (RCI) is first introduced to the analysis of FTIR results, which implies that organotin has a better ability to inhibit photo-oxidation than organic calcium complex and ensures longer stabilization time. The antioxidation of mercaptan organotin has been observed because it is an effective decomposer of peroxides and hydroperoxides. TG analysis reveals that some unstable structures generated due to the irradiation of ultraviolet can easily split away off from PVC macromolecular backbones under relatively low temperature. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 50:1095-1104,2010. (C) 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers