Tetrachloroethylene: also known as perchloroethene, aka perchloroethylene, aka perc, aka PCE, aka tetrachloroethene, aka dry-cleaning fluid

Tetrachloroethylene is a chlorocarbon with the formula Cl2C=CCl2 that is a colorless liquid widely used for dry cleaning of fabrics, hence sometimes called “dry-cleaning fluid.” Despite its name, “dry cleaning” is not totally dry. Dry cleaners put clothes into large machines, similar to a home washing machine, with a cleaning solution. Most dry cleaners — about 85 percent nationwide, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency — use a liquid solution of perchloroethylene or some other solvent, with very little, if any, water. Once clean, the clothes are dried, shaped, and pressed.

Perchloroethylene (perc) is a clear liquid that has a recognizable odor. Dry cleaners use perc because it removes stains and dirt from all common types of fabrics and does not cause clothes to shrink, or dyes to bleed. Perc can be captured at the end of a wash cycle, distilled, and reused again. It is a cost-effective and efficient solvent for cleaning clothes. Clean perc has the color and consistency of apple juice. Perc that is dirty with a weeks worth of peoples dirt is jet black and as thick as molasses.

History of Perchloroethylene (Perc) in Dry-Cleaning

Dry-cleaning was developed in the 1850s when Jean-Baptiste Jolly used kerosene as a solvent to clean heavily soiled clothing and table cloths. Since then, the dry-cleaning industry has moved away from flammable materials with the adoption in the 1920s of the chemical known as Tetrachloroethylene or Perchloroethylene (perc) which also increased the cleaning power available to dry cleaners. More recently, Perc has been replaced in the last two decades by more environmentally friendly chemicals such as Rynex and liquid silicone. However, liquid CO2 dry-cleaning is the cleanest and most eco-friendly method for dry-cleaning.

Health and safety of Perchloroethylene (Perc) in Dry-Cleaning

Perc is also a toxic chemical that poses health and environmental concerns if used improperly. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) notes that perc is a potential human carcinogen. Symptoms associated with exposure to high levels of perc include depression of the central nervous system and damage to the liver and kidneys. Even brief exposure can cause confusion, dizziness, headache, drowsiness, and eye, nose, and throat irritation.

Like many chlorinated hydrocarbons, tetrachloroethene is a central nervous system depressant, and inhaling its vapors (particularly in closed, poorly ventilated areas) can cause dizziness,headache, sleepiness, confusion, nausea, difficulty in speaking and walking, unconsciousness, and death.

After repeated or extended skin contact, tetrachloroethene may dissolve fats from the skin, resulting in severe skin irritation in work environments where people have been exposed to high concentrations.

Tetrachloroethene is a common soil contaminant. Such contamination most often results from spillage, overfilling, sewer leakage, or the illegal disposal into UIC wells (e.g. septic systems, drywells) at commercial dry cleaning facilities. Because of the mobility of PCE in groundwater, its toxicity at low levels, and its density (which causes it to sink below the water table), cleanup activities tend to be especially problematic compared to cleanups of oil spills.

Results from some studies suggest that women who work in dry cleaning industries where exposures to tetrachloroethene can be high may have more menstrual problems and spontaneous abortions than women who are not exposed. However, it is not known if tetrachloroethene was responsible for these problems because other possible causes were not considered.

Results of animal studies, conducted with amounts much higher than those that most people are exposed to, show that tetrachloroethene can cause liver and kidney damage. Exposure to very high levels of tetrachloroethene can be toxic to the unborn pups of pregnant rats and mice. Changes in behavior were observed in the offspring of rats that breathed high levels of the chemical while they were pregnant.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified tetrachloroethene as a Group 2A carcinogen, which means that it is probably carcinogenic to humans.

New York State Department of Health: Tetrachloroethene (PERC) in Indoor and Outdoor Air

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