September 1997 |
ToxFAQs™ |
for |
Tetrachloroethylene (PERC) |
(Tetracloroetileno) |
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This fact sheet answers the most frequently
asked health questions about tetrachloroethylene (PERC). 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: Tetrachloroethylene
is a manufactured chemical used for dry cleaning and metal
degreasing. Exposure to very high concentrations of tetrachloroethylene
can cause dizziness, headaches, sleepiness, confusion,
nausea, difficulty in speaking and walking, unconsciousness,
and death. Tetrachloroethylene has been found in at least
771 of the 1,430 National Priorities List sites identified
by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). |
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What
is tetrachloroethylene? |
Tetrachloroethylene is a manufactured
chemical that is widely used for dry cleaning of fabrics and
for metal-degreasing. It is also used to make other chemicals
and is used in some consumer products.
Other names for tetrachloroethylene include
perchloroethylene, PCE, and tetrachloroethene. It is a nonflammable
liquid at room temperature. It evaporates easily into the
air and has a sharp, sweet odor. Most people can smell tetrachloroethylene
when it is present in the air at a level of 1 part tetrachloroethylene
per million parts of air (1 ppm) or more, although some can
smell it at even lower levels.
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What
happens to tetrachloroethylene when it enters the environment? |
- Much of the tetrachloroethylene that gets into water or
soil evaporates into the air.
- Microorganisms can break down some of the tetrachloroethylene
in soil or underground water.
- In the air, it is broken down by sunlight into other chemicals
or brought back to the soil and water by rain.
- It does not appear to collect in fish or other animals
that live in water.
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How
might I be exposed to tetrachloroethylene? |
- When you bring clothes from the dry cleaners, they will
release small amounts of tetrachloroethylene into the air.
- When you drink water containing tetrachloroethylene, you
are exposed to it
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How
can tetrachloroethylene affect my health? |
High concentrations of tetrachloroethylene
(particularly in closed, poorly ventilated areas) can cause
dizziness, headache, sleepiness, confusion, nausea, difficulty
in speaking and walking, unconsciousness, and death.
Irritation may result from repeated or
extended skin contact with it. These symptoms occur almost
entirely in work (or hobby) environments when people have
been accidentally exposed to high concentrations or have intentionally
used tetrachloroethylene to get a "high."
In industry, most workers are exposed
to levels lower than those causing obvious nervous system
effects. The health effects of breathing in air or drinking
water with low levels of tetrachloroethylene are not known.
Results from some studies suggest that
women who work in dry cleaning industries where exposures
to tetrachloroethylene can be quite high may have more menstrual
problems and spontaneous abortions than women who are not
exposed. However, it is not known if tetrachloroethylene 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 tetrachloroethylene can cause liver and kidney
damage. Exposure to very high levels of tetrachloroethylene
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.
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How
likely is tetrachloroethylene to cause cancer? |
The Department of Health and Human Services
(DHHS) has determined that tetrachloroethylene may reasonably
be anticipated to be a carcinogen. Tetrachloroethylene has
been shown to cause liver tumors in mice and kidney tumors
in male rats.
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Is
there a medical test to show whether I've been exposed to tetrachloroethylene? |
One way of testing for tetrachloroethylene
exposure is to measure the amount of the chemical in the breath,
much the same way breath-alcohol measurements are used to
determine the amount of alcohol in the blood.
Because it is stored in the body's fat
and slowly released into the bloodstream, tetrachloroethylene
can be detected in the breath for weeks following a heavy
exposure.
Tetrachloroethylene and trichloroacetic
acid (TCA), a breakdown product of tetrachloroethylene, can
be detected in the blood. These tests are relatively simple
to perform. These tests aren't available at most doctors'
offices, but can be performed at special laboratories that
have the right equipment.
Because exposure to other chemicals can
produce the same breakdown products in the urine and blood,
the tests for breakdown products cannot determine if you have
been exposed to tetrachloroethylene or the other chemicals.
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Has the federal government made recommendations to protect human health? |
The EPA maximum contaminant level for
the amount of tetrachloroethylene that can be in drinking
water is 0.005 milligrams tetrachloroethylene per liter of
water (0.005 mg/L).
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) has set a limit of 100 ppm for an 8-hour workday over
a 40-hour workweek.
The National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends that tetrachloroethylene
be handled as a potential carcinogen and recommends that levels
in workplace air should be as low as possible.
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Glossary |
Carcinogen: A substance with the ability
to cause cancer.
CAS: Chemical Abstracts Service.
Milligram (mg): One thousandth of a gram.
Nonflammable: Will not burn.
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References |
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry (ATSDR). 1997. Managing Hazardous Materials Incidents.
Volume III Medical Management Guidelines for Acute
Chemical Exposures: Tetrachloroethylene (PERC). 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 tetrachloroethylene. 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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