July 2003 |
ToxFAQs™ |
for |
Trichloroethylene (TCE) |
(Tricloroetileno) |
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This fact sheet answers the most frequently
asked health questions about trichloroethylene. For more information,
you may call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-888-422-8737.
This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about hazardous
substances and their health effects. This information is important
because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure
to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration,
how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether
other chemicals are present.
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HIGHLIGHTS: Trichloroethylene
is a colorless liquid which is used as a solvent for cleaning
metal parts. Drinking or breathing high levels of trichloroethylene
may cause nervous system effects, liver and lung damage,
abnormal heartbeat, coma, and possibly death. Trichloroethylene
has been found in at least 852 of the 1,430 National Priorities
List sites identified by the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA). |
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What
is trichloroethylene? |
Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a nonflammable,
colorless liquid with a somewhat sweet odor and a sweet, burning
taste. It is used mainly as a solvent to remove grease from
metal parts, but it is also an ingredient in adhesives, paint
removers, typewriter correction fluids, and spot removers.
Trichloroethylene is not thought to occur
naturally in the environment. However, it has been found in
underground water sources and many surface waters as a result
of the manufacture, use, and disposal of the chemical.
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What
happens to trichloroethylene when it enters the environment? |
- Trichloroethylene dissolves a little in water, but it
can remain in ground water for a long time.
- Trichloroethylene quickly evaporates from surface water,
so it is commonly found as a vapor in the air.
- Trichloroethylene evaporates less easily from the soil
than from surface water. It may stick to particles and remain
for a long time.
- Trichloroethylene may stick to particles in water, which
will cause it to eventually settle to the bottom sediment.
- Trichloroethylene does not build up significantly in plants
and animals.
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How
might I be exposed to trichloroethylene? |
- Breathing air in and around the home which has been contaminated
with trichloroethylene vapors from shower water or household
products such as spot removers and typewriter correction
fluid.
- Drinking, swimming, or showering in water that has been
contaminated with trichloroethylene.
- Contact with soil contaminated with trichloroethylene,
such as near a hazardous waste site.
- Contact with the skin or breathing contaminated air while
manufacturing trichloroethylene or using it at work to wash
paint or grease from skin or equipment.
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How
can trichloroethylene affect my health? |
Breathing small amounts may cause headaches,
lung irritation, dizziness, poor coordination, and difficulty
concentrating.
Breathing large amounts of trichloroethylene
may cause impaired heart function, unconsciousness, and death.
Breathing it for long periods may cause nerve, kidney, and
liver damage.
Drinking large amounts of trichloroethylene
may cause nausea, liver damage, unconsciousness, impaired
heart function, or death.
Drinking small amounts of trichloroethylene
for long periods may cause liver and kidney damage, impaired
immune system function, and impaired fetal development in
pregnant women, although the extent of some of these effects
is not yet clear.
Skin contact with trichloroethylene for
short periods may cause skin rashes.
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How
likely is trichloroethylene to cause cancer? |
Some studies with mice and rats have
suggested that high levels of trichloroethylene may cause
liver, kidney, or lung cancer. Some studies of people exposed
over long periods to high levels of trichloroethylene in drinking
water or in workplace air have found evidence of increased
cancer. Although, there are some concerns about the studies
of people who were exposed to trichloroethylene, some of the
effects found in people were similar to effects in animals.
In its 9th Report on Carcinogens, the
National Toxicology Program (NTP) determined that trichloroethylene
is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has
determined that trichloroethylene is probably carcinogenic
to humans.
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Is
there a medical test to show whether I've been exposed to trichloroethylene? |
If you have recently been exposed to
trichloroethylene, it can be detected in your breath, blood,
or urine. The breath test, if it is performed soon after exposure,
can tell if you have been exposed to even a small amount of
trichloroethylene.
Exposure to larger amounts is assessed
by blood and urine tests, which can detect trichloroethylene
and many of its breakdown products for up to a week after
exposure. However, exposure to other similar chemicals can
produce the same breakdown products, so their detection is
not absolute proof of exposure to trichloroethylene. This
test isn't available at most doctors' offices, but can be
done at special laboratories that have the right equipment.
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Has the federal government made recommendations to protect human health? |
The EPA has set a maximum contaminant
level for trichloroethylene in drinking water at 0.005 milligrams
per liter (0.005 mg/L) or 5 parts of TCE per billion parts
water.
The EPA has also developed regulations
for the handling and disposal of trichloroethylene.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) has set an exposure limit of 100 parts of trichloroethylene
per million parts of air (100 ppm) for an 8-hour workday,
40-hour workweek.
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Glossary |
Carcinogenicity: The ability of a substance
to cause cancer.
CAS: Chemical Abstracts Service.
Evaporate: To change into a vapor or
gas.
Milligram (mg): One thousandth of a gram.
Nonflammable: Will not burn.
ppm: Parts per million.
Sediment: Mud and debris that have settled
to the bottom of a body of water.
Solvent: A chemical that dissolves other
substances.
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References |
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry (ATSDR). 2003. Managing Hazardous Materials Incidents.
Volume III Medical Management Guidelines for Acute
Chemical Exposures: Trichloroethylene (TCE). Atlanta,
GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health
Service.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry (ATSDR). 1997. Toxicological
Profile for trichloroethylene. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.
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Where can I get more information? |
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational
and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize,
evaluate, and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous
substances. You can also contact your community or state health
or environmental quality department if you have any more questions
or concerns. For more information, contact:
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Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology
1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32
Atlanta, GA 30333
Phone: 1-888-42-ATSDR (1-888-422-8737)
FAX: (770)-488-4178
Email: ATSDRIC@cdc.gov
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