Tetrachloroethylene is a chemical that is manufactured for use in the dry cleaning of fabrics and for metal-degreasing. It is also used to make other chemicals and is used in some consumer products. A common name for tetrachloroethylene is perchloroethylene or “PERC”. It evaporates readily into the air and gives off a sharp, sweet odor. Most people can detect it in the air when it is present at a level of 1 part tetrachloroethlylene per million parts of air or higher, others can smell it at even lower levels.

How You Are Exposed

• When you first get clothes back from the dry cleaners, they will release varying amounts of tetrachloroethlylene into the air. People who live hear facilities that use perc can also be exposed when perc is released into outside air.
• When you use consumer products that contain tetrachloroethlylene such as leather cleaners.

How Can Tetrachloroethylene Affect Your Health?

Chronic exposure to PERC can cause respiratory irritation, headache, nausea, sleepiness, constipation and abdominal pains, cirrhosis of the liver, hepatitis, and nephritis. Some epidemiological research has found an association between inhalation exposure to tetrachloroethylene and an increased risk for reproductive problems such as spontaneous abortion, idiopathic infertility, and sperm abnormalities among dry-cleaning workers. Other epidemiology studies of dry cleaning and laundry workers have found excesses in mortality due to various types of cancer, including liver cancer.