Tetrachloroethylene is a high production volume hpv chemical, which has been prioritised for risk assessment within the former eu existing substances regulation. Sampling and analytical methods tetrachloroethylene. The atsdr toxicological profile succinctly characterizes the toxicologic and adverse health effects information for the hazardous substance described here. These methods have been applied for assessing both occupational and non. Assessment of environmental exposure to trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene ljiljana skender and vi. Effects resulting from acute short term highlevel inhalation exposure of humans to tetrachloroethylene include irritation of the upper.
Information concerning all of these topics is combined in an assessment of the risks of exposure to tetra chloroethylene for various subpopulationp. The primary sources releasing tce into the environment are metal cleaning and degreasing operations. Tetrachloroethylene, also known under the systematic name tetrachloroethene, or perchloroethylene, and many other names and abbreviations such as perc or perc, and pce, is a chlorocarbon with the formula cl 2 cccl 2. These documents provide information on the health effects of exposure, the chemicals toxicity and. These effects are intensified and include incoordination and drunkenness when concentrations exceed 600 ppm. High levels of pce have been extracted from conventionally drycleaned fabrics, making such fabrics a common source of exposure to the general population sherlach et al. Use an extinguishing media appropriate for surrounding fire. Biographic information on the committee on tetrachloroethylene. Dermal exposure also may occur, but is not important for the.
Only scattered measurements were available from the early years, and the exposure level seemed fairly stable up until the mid 1970s. Tetrachloroethylene exposure can be evaluated by a breath test, analogous to breathalcohol measurements. More than 80% of the pce produced is used in the dry cleaning industry. These targets include the central nervous system, kidney, liver, immune and hematologic system, and development and reproduction. Nevertheless, existing methods for lifecycle impact assessment lcia generally do not consider impacts from chemical exposure at the workplace. There are experimental and epidemiological data suggesting a carcinogenic potential of perc iarc 1995. We registered also changes over time in occupational exposure limits oels to tetrachloroethylene. Exposure to pce is carcinogenic for rodents, inducing liver cancer in mice. The phg is based on carcinogenic effects observed in experimental animals. Relatively crude exposure assessment approaches in the studies of tetrachloroethylene exposed workers may have attenuated the relative risks. This is a severe drawback, because neglecting occupational health effects may result in product or process optimizations at the expense of workers. Safety data sheet perchloroethylene all grades version 1. Eighteen women from four dry cleaning facilities in southwestern ohio were monitored in a pilot study of workers with pce exposure.
Navy and marine corps public health center resource on perchloroethylene tetrachloroethylene or pce that addresses its properties, uses, populations at risk of adverse health effects due to exposure, and the distribution of pce in the environment. Tetrachloroethylene is used primarily in the dry cleaning industry and for textile processing. Perchloroethylene hazards profile characterising perchloroethylene based on its inherent hazards is an essential component of conducting an alternatives assessment. Atsdr assessed 16 diseases in its document atsdr assessment of the evidence for the drinking water contaminants at camp lejeune and specific cancers and other diseases pdf icon. Prenatal and early childhood exposure to tetrachloroethylene. European union system for the evaluation of substances software tool in support of.
The advcie may not apply to acute, large exposures to these chemcials. Tetrachloroethylene has been one of the most widely used chlorinated solvents in the united states. Overexposure to tetrachloroethylene through inhalation can affect the central nervous system and liver. The overall objectives of the ipcs are to establish the scientific basis for assessment of the risk. The modeling effort includes multimedia transport and transformation models, exposure scenario models, and efforts to quantify and reduce uncertainty in multimedia, multiplepathway exposure models. Trichloroethylene 79016 hazard summary most of the trichloroethylene used in the united states is released into the atmosphere from industrial degreasing operations.
Trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, and some other. It is also used as an insulating fluid in the production of fluorocarbons and, to a lesser extent, in the production of adhesives, aerosols, and paint. For women 40 exposed cases, results based only on the jem exposure assessment were reported, and no upward trend was observed. Appendix b documents the essential design features, exposure assessment. Biological exposure assessment to tetrachloroethylene for. Tetrachloroethylene perchloroethylene casrn 127184 iris. Tetrachloroethylene perchloroethylene 127184 hazard summary tetrachloroethylene is widely used for drycleaning fabrics and metal degreasing operations. Environmental exposure assessments environmental health. Releases occur into all media but mostly into the air due to its volatility.
This may be a synopsis of the full weightofevidence narrative. Toxicology and carcinogenesis studies of tetrachloroethylene perchloroethylene cas no. Center for environmental health, bureau of toxic substance assessment. We performed literature searches in medline, toxline, nioshtic, and the niosh health hazard evaluation databases using relevant search terms. Environmental exposure assessments the public health toxicology program in the virginia department of healths office of environmental health services, works with communities and various state and federal agency officials to determine if contaminants in the environment are a health hazard. Opinion on risk assessment report on tetrachloroethylene.
Prepared by the office of health and environmental assessment, environmental criteria and assessment office, research triangle. Exposure tetrachloroethylene is widely distributed in the environment, because it is released from many industrial processes and consumer products. Guidelines for carcinogen risk assessment, tetrachloroethylene is likely to be carcinogenic in humans by all routes of exposure. Get a printable copy pdf file of the complete article 1. Tetrachloroethylene has been measured in a range of biota and food products. Other pertinent literature is also presented, but is described in less detail than the key studies. These documents provide information on the health effects of.
It may also cause liver damage and is a potential occupational carcinogen. Pce in blood is the preferred biological index to monitor exposures, but may make recruitment difficult. Pdf tetrachloroethylene exposure and bladder cancer risk. The present analyses compare exposure prevalence and risk estimates derived by different exposure assessment methods. Most exposure occurs through inhalation and dermal contact as an industrial contaminant. The primary routes of potential human exposure to tetrachloroethylene are inhalation and ingestion of contaminated water or food. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of conducting biological tetrachloroethylene perchloroethylene, pce exposure assessments of dry cleaning employees in conjunction with evaluation of possible pce health effects. Ors based on the jem exposure assessment 405 exposed cases also increased with increasing exposure index, although they were less pronounced. Tetrachloroethylene perc exposure and visual contrast sensitivity vcs test performance in adults and children residing in buildings with or without a dry cleaner. In such cases, please contact the mnnei sota posion. Because it is stored in the bodys fat and slowly released into the bloodstream, tetrachloroethylene can be detected in the breath for weeks following a heavy exposure. Firefighting measures suitable extinguishing media. Biological exposure assessment to tetrachloroethylene for workers in the dry cleaning industry article pdf available in environmental health 71.
Biographic information on the committee on tetrachloroethylene sam kacew chair is a professor in the department of cellular and molecular medicine, faculty of medicine, and associate director of toxicology at the mclaughlin centre for population health risk assessment of the university of ottawa. This volume of the iarc monographs provides an assessment of the carcinogenic hazards associated with exposure to seven chlorinated solvents, including trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, and their metabolites dichloroacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid, and chloral hydrate. The following guidance was developed by the minnesota department of health mdh in 2014 in response to vapor intrusion investigations conducted by the minnesota pollution control agency mpca. Perchloroethylene is a basic raw material in the manufacture of hydrofluorocarbons hfc 4a and 125, alternatives to chlorofluorocarbon cfc and hydrochlorofluorocarbon hcfc refrigerants.
May 31, 2017 what is perchloroethylene tetrachloroethylene or pce. Exposure to tetrachloroethylene may cause irritation eyes, skin, nose, throat, and respiratory system. Exposure and risk assessment for tetrachloroethylene. Lifecycle assessment lca aims to assess all environmental impacts from cradle to grave. Perchloroethylene also called pce is a colorless, nonflammable manmade liquid. Mdh risk assessment advice raa for pce in air is 2 micrograms of pce per cubic meter of. Pdf the purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of conducting biological tetrachloroethylene perchloroethylene, pce exposure assessments. Pdf biological exposure assessment to tetrachloroethylene for. What is perchloroethylene tetrachloroethylene or pce. Assessment of environmental exposure to trichloroethylene. Tetrachloroethylene was considered by previous iarc working groups in 1979, 1987, and.
Methods in the context of a casecontrol study conducted in seven european countries, exposure was estimated for asbestos, diesel motor emissions dme and crystalline silica, using three different assessment methods. Researchers conducting these types of studies will be able to use results of the measurements to quantify tetrachloroethylene exposure levels for various jobs. Following epa 2005a guidelines for carcinogen risk assessment, tetrachloroethylene is likely to be carcinogenic in humans by all routes of exposure. The assessment of whether tetrachloroethylene is toxic, as defined under cepa, was based on the determination of whether it enters or is likely to enter the canadian environment in a concentration or quantities or under conditions that could lead to exposure of humans or other biota to levels that could cause harmful effects. Sep 26, 2019 the atsdr toxicological profile succinctly characterizes the toxicologic and adverse health effects information for the hazardous substance described here. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of conducting biological. All these agents were previously assessed by iarc working groups more.
June 24, 2008 the dow chemical company page 3 of 7 fluorinated compounds. Exposure assessment in populationbased, casecontrol studies is a complex process requiring substantial resources. Health assessment document for tetrachloroethylene perchloroethylene. The uk has prepared a comprehensive risk assessment report rar for tetrachloroethylene eu rar 2001, 2007, which has been discussed in the eu. Therefore, not everyone who is exposed to trichloroethylene tce, tetrachloroethylene pce, benzene, or vinyl chloride exposure will develop a health problem. Tetrachloroethylene is widely used in the drycleaning industry, and exposure of women is common, especially in small businesses where industrial hygienic practices may be inadequate. The international programme on chemical safety ipcs, established in 1980, is a joint venture of the united nations environment programme unep, the international labour organization ilo, and the world health organization who. Exposure levels arp estimated and available data on toxicity are presented and interpreted. Tetrachloroethylene an overview sciencedirect topics. The health part of the document is of good quality, it is comprehensive, and the exposure and effects assessment follow the technical guidance document. A number of the neurotoxic effects of tetrachloroethylene appear well correlated with parent compound concentrations at the target site bushnell et al.
Acute shortterm and chronic longterm inhalation exposure to trichloroethylene can affect the human central nervous system cns, with symptoms such as dizziness. It has a sweet odor detectable by most people at a. Workers may be harmed from exposure to tetrachloroethylene. Tetrachloroethylene exposure and bladder cancer risk. Subsport specific substances alternatives assessment. Biological exposure assessment to tetrachloroethylene for workers. Risk of breast cancer following exposure to tetrachloroethylene contaminated drinking water in cape cod, massachusetts. Apr 15, 2008 the purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of conducting biological tetrachloroethylene perchloroethylene, pce exposure assessments of dry cleaning employees in conjunction with evaluation of possible pce health effects. Confronting workplace exposure to chemicals with lca. Mar 21, 2014 for men, ors based on the jtem exposure assessment increased with exposure index. The uk has prepared a comprehensive risk assessment report rar for tetrachloroethylene eu. It is a colorless liquid widely used for dry cleaning of fabrics, hence it is sometimes called drycleaning fluid. Effects and ii carcinogenicity assessment for lifetime exposure present the. Pdf biological exposure assessment to tetrachloroethylene.
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