where is trichloroethylene found

In homes, trichloroethylene can be found in typewriter correction fluid, paint, spot removers, carpet-cleaning fluids, metal cleaners, and varnishes. Trichloroethylene

also is known as trichloroethene, and is commonly referred to as TCE. Regulation of TCE by the EPA began in the 1980s.

Full Answer

What is trichloroethylene?

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a volatile, colorless liquid organic chemical. TCE does not occur naturally and is created by chemical synthesis. It is used primarily to make refrigerants and other hydrofluorocarbons and as a degreasing solvent for metal equipment. TCE is also used in some household products,...

What is the concentration of trichloroethylene in Minnesota?

Trichloroethylene was found in 72.9% of samples taken inside two Minneapolis, MN schools during the winter of 2000 at concentrations of 0.1-0.8 ug/cu m, and in 55.6% of samples taken in the same schools in the spring of 2000 at concentrations of 0.0-0.3 ug/cu m (6).

What are the sources of atmospheric release of trichloroethylene?

Solvent evaporation from adhesives, paints, coatings and miscellaneous uses is also a source of atmospheric release. A natural source of trichloroethylene is its production by several species of marine macroalgae and at least one species of marine microalgae.

How are people exposed to trichloroethylene?

TCE may be found in the air, water, and soil at places where it is produced or used. It breaks down slowly and remains in the environment for a long time. It readily passes through soil and can accumulate in groundwater.

What cancers are associated with trichloroethylene?

Which cancers are associated with exposure to trichloroethylene? Prolonged or repeated exposure of trichloroethylene causes kidney cancer. Some evidence suggests that it may be associated with an increased risks of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and, possibly, liver cancer.

What is TCE used for?

It is used primarily to make refrigerants and other hydrofluorocarbons and as a degreasing solvent for metal equipment. TCE is also used in some household products, such as cleaning wipes, aerosol cleaning products, tool cleaners, paint removers, spray adhesives, and carpet cleaners and spot removers.

Can you drink water with TCE?

In general, people should avoid drinking water known to be contaminated with TCE, and children should be prevented from playing in areas where the chemical has been found in the soil. Always follow instructions on product labels to minimize exposure to hazardous chemicals such as TCE.

What are some examples of workers exposed to trichloroethylene?

Some examples of workers at risk of being exposed to trichloroethylene include the following: Workers who use it as an extraction solvent for greases, oils, fats, waxes, and tars. Factory workers in the textile processing industry who use it to scour cotton, wool, and other fabrics.

What is a CAS number for trichloroethylene?

CAS No. 79-01-6. Trichloroethylene (CICH=CCl 2) is a colorless liquid with a chloroform-like odor. Trichloroethylene may cause irritation to the eyes and skin. Exposure to high concentrations can cause dizziness, headaches, sleepiness, confusion, nausea, unconsciousness, liver damage, and even death. Trichloroethylene is a known carcingen.

Is trichloroethylene carcingen?

Trichloroethylene is a known carcingen. Workers may be harmed from exposure to trichloroethylene. The level of exposure depends upon the dose, duration, and work being done. Trichloroethylene is used in many industries.

What Is Trichloroethylene?

Trichloroethylene, commonly referred to as TCE, is a nonflammable, colorless liquid that is primarily used to degrease metal parts. This synthetic solvent is found in certain consumer products including adhesives, wood finishes, paint remover and stain remover.

What are the side effects of trichloroethylene?

Side effects of exposure to trichloroethylene may affect the respiratory system, central nervous system, vision, hearing, cognition and coordination. TCE exposure may cause skin reactions, headaches, nausea and dizziness. Inhalation of trichloroethylene at high concentrations can affect the heart, liver and kidneys, and it may lead to confusion, sleepiness, unconsciousness and even death by causing an abnormal heart rate (arrhythmia).

How Are People Exposed to TCE?

Exposure to TCE may occur through inhalation, ingestion, drinking water and skin absorption. Trichloroethylene exposure primarily occurs in the workplace, and it may also occur environmentally through exposure to contaminated groundwater, air and soil.

What is TCE used for?

TCE is currently used as an industrial solvent, metal degreaser, laundry spot remover and typewriter correction fluid. It can be used to make refrigerants, PVC plastic, pesticides and flame retardants. It is added to adhesives, glue, paint and stain removers, arts and crafts spray coatings and automotive care products including brake cleaners. TCE can also be added to household cleaning products such as cleaning wipes, aerosol cleaning products, tool cleaners, gun cleaners and carpet cleaners.

What is TCE exposure?

TCE exposure is a risk factor for developing a form of pulmonary hypertension known as pulmonary veno-occlusive disease. The disease is characterized by the blockage of blood vessels that carry oxygen from the lungs to the heart. Lung transplantation is the preferred treatment for patients who qualify.

What are the lawsuits against trichloroethylene?

These lawsuits have resulted in compensation for individuals to cover medical costs for TCE-related diseases and compensation for communities to cover groundwater cleanup costs.

Where is the largest TCE plume?

The largest TCE plume in the world is in the small town of Mancelona, Michigan. The plume spans six miles and expands approximately 300 feet a year. An estimated 13 trillion gallons of groundwater in the area are contaminated with TCE. Residents continue to rely on a temporary municipal water system that the state of Michigan established to access safe drinking water.

How is trichloroethylene made?

Prior to the early 1970s, most trichloroethylene was produced in a two-step process from acetylene. First, acetylene was treated with chlorine using a ferric chloride catalyst at 90 °C to produce 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane according to the chemical equation

When was trichloroethylene first used?

When it was first widely produced in the 1920s, trichloroethylene's major use was to extract vegetable oils from plant materials such as soy, coconut, and palm. Other uses in the food industry included coffee decaffeination and the preparation of flavoring extracts from hops and spices.

What is the history of TCE?

History. Pioneered by Imperial Chemical Industries in Britain, its development was hailed as an anesthetic revolution. Originally thought to possess less hepatotoxicity than chloroform, and without the unpleasant pungency and flammability of ether, TCE use was nonetheless soon found to have several pitfalls. These included promotion of cardiac ...

What was the EPA's response to the trichloroethylene issue?

In 2001, a draft report of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) laid the groundwork for tough new standards to limit public exposure to trichloroethylene. The assessment set off a fight between the EPA and the Department of Defense (DoD), the Department of Energy, and NASA, who appealed directly to the White House. They argued that the EPA had produced junk science, its assumptions were badly flawed, and that evidence exonerating the chemical was ignored.

How many Superfund sites have trichloroethylene?

Trichloroethylene has been detected in 852 Superfund sites across the United States, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). Under the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, and as amended annual water quality testing is required for all public drinking water distributors.

What is the maximum exposure to trichloroethylene?

In the European Union, the Scientific Committee on Occupational Exposure Limit Values (SCOEL) recommends an exposure limit for workers exposed to trichloroethylene of 10 ppm (54.7 mg/m 3) for 8-hour TWA and of 30 ppm (164.1 mg/m 3) for STEL (15 minutes).

What is the catalyst for 1,2-dichloroethane?

When heated to around 400 °C with additional chlorine, 1,2-dichloroethane is converted to trichloroethylene. This reaction can be catalyzed by a variety of substances. The most commonly used catalyst is a mixture of potassium chloride and aluminum chloride. However, various forms of porous carbon can also be used.

Where is trichloroethylene found?

The compound was detected in marine sediments from Liverpool Bay, England at a max of 9.9 ppb (2). As fo 1985, it has been reported in the USEPA STORET database, based on 338 data points where 6.0% were reported positive, at <5.0 ppb median concentration (3). Trichloroethylene was detected in sediment from Lake Pontchartrain at Passes; from 3 sites, 66.7% were positive at a concentration of 0.1-0.2 ppb, wet weight (4).

What was the concentration of trichloroethylene in the air in 1990?

The concentration of trichloroethylene in the air was 25-40 ppm [134-215 mg/cu m]. The mean blood levels of trichloroethylene were 0.38 umol/L [50 ug/L] on Monday morning (range, 0.15- 3.58 umol/L) (20-70 ug/L) and 3.39 umol/L [445 ug/L] on Wednesday afternoon (range, 0.46- 12.71 umol/L (60-1670 ug/L]. ...

What is TCE in vapor degreasing?

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a volatile organic compound widely used in industrial and commercial processes and has some limited uses in consumer and commercial products . EPA identified significant health risks associated with TCE use in vapor degreasing and EPA's proposed determination is that these risks are unreasonable risks. To address these unreasonable risks, EPA is proposing under section 6 of the Toxic Substances Control Act ( TSCA) to prohibit the manufacture (including import), processing, and distribution in commerce of TCE for use in vapor degreasing; to prohibit commercial use of TCE in vapor degreasing; to require manufacturers, processors, and distributors, except for retailers of TCE for any use, to provide downstream notification of these prohibitions throughout the supply chain; and to require limited recordkeeping.

What is TCE in chemical?

Used as a solvent, fumigant, in the manufacture of other chemicals, and for many other uses. CAMEO Chemicals. Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a nonflammable, colorless liquid with a somewhat sweet odor and a sweet, burning taste.

What is TCE in paint?

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 ...

What is the pesticide code for trichloroethylene?

For trichloroethylene (USEPA/OPP Pesticide Code: 081202) there are 0 labels match. /SRP: Not registered for current use in the U.S., but approved pesticide uses may change periodically and so federal, state and local authorities must be consulted for currently approved uses./

Is trichloroethylene a hazardous waste?

D040; A waste containing trichloroethylene may or may not be characterized as a hazardous waste following testing by the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure as prescribed by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulations.

What is TCE used for?

TCE is used mainly for vapor degreasing of fabricated metal parts in the automotive and metal industries.

When was TCE banned?

Before its ban for certain applications in 1977, TCE was also used as a general (mostly obstetric) anesthetic, grain fumigant, disinfectant, pet food additive, and extractant of spices in foods and caffeine in coffee (Candura and Faustman 1991.)

How does trichloroethylene enter the body?

When trichloroethylene is found in water, it can enter your body when you drink or touch the water or when you breathe in steam from the water. Most of the trichloroethylene that you breathe in or drink will move from your stomach or lungs into your bloodstream. When you touch water containing trichloroethylene (such as showering or bathing with trichloroethylene-contaminated water), some of it can get through your skin into your body. Also, you can be exposed when trichloroethylene in groundwater evaporates and migrates into air spaces beneath buildings to enter the indoor air, a process termed vapor intrusion, and you breathe that contaminated indoor air.

How does trichloroethylene get into the atmosphere?

Most of the trichloroethylene used in the United States is released into the atmosphere by evaporation, primarily from degreasing operations . Once in the atmosphere, the dominant trichloroethylene degradation process is reaction with hydroxyl radicals; the estimated half-life for this process is about 3–7 days. This relatively short half-life indicates that trichloroethylene is not a persistent atmospheric compound. Most trichloroethylene in surface waters or on soil surfaces evaporates into the atmosphere, although its high mobility in soil may result in it moving into groundwater below the soil surface. In these subsurface environments, trichloroethylene is only slowly degraded and may be relatively persistent. Trichloroethylene and other volatile organic chemicals may diffuse from contaminated groundwater and soil and migrate into air spaces beneath buildings to enter the indoor air, a process termed vapor intrusion.

How to prevent trichloroethylene in water?

If you find your home water supply and/or soil to be contaminated with trichloroethylene, consider using a cleaner source of water and limiting contact with soil (for example, through use of a dense ground cover or thick lawn) to reduce exposure to trichloroethylene. By paying careful attention to dust and dirt control in the home (air filters, frequent cleaning), you can reduce family exposure to contaminated dirt. Some children eat a lot of dirt. You should prevent your children from eating dirt. You should discourage your children from putting objects in their mouths. Make sure that they wash their hands frequently and before eating. Discourage your children from putting their hands in their mouths or from other hand-to-mouth activity.

How long does it take for trichloroethylene to leave the body?

You will quickly breathe out much of the trichloroethylene that reaches your bloodstream; most of the trichloroethylene breakdown products leave your body in the urine within a day.

What is trichloroethylene used for?

Trichloroethylene is widely used as a solvent for extraction, waterless drying, and finishing, and as a general purpose solvent in adhesives, lubricants, paints, varnishes, paint strippers, pesticides, and cold metal cleaners. Follow instructions on product labels to minimize exposure to trichloroethylene.

What are the effects of trichloroethylene on animals?

Relatively short-term exposure of animals to trichloroethylene resulted in harmful effects on the nervous system, liver, respiratory system, kidneys, blood, immune system, heart, and body weight.

What is the concentration of trichloroethylene in food?

Trichloroethylene has been detected in table-ready foods at concentrations generally in the range of 2–100 ppb.

How does trichloroethylene affect the body?

Most of the trichloroethylene used in the United States is released into the atmosphere from industrialdegreasing operations. Acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) inhalation exposure totrichloroethylene can affect the human central nervous system (CNS), with symptoms such as dizziness,headaches, confusion, euphoria, facial numbness, and weakness.  Liver, kidney, immunological, endocrine,and developmental effects have also been reported in humans.  A recent analysis of availableepidemiological studies reports trichloroethylene exposure to be associated with several types of cancers inhumans, especially kidney, liver, cervix, and lymphatic system.   Animal studies have reported increases inlung, liver, kidney, and testicular tumors and lymphoma.  The Agency is currently reassessing the cancerclassification of trichloroethylene.

What is the chemical formula for trichloroethylene?

The chemical formula for trichloroethylene is C2HCl3, and the molecular weight is 131.40 g/mol. (1) The vapor pressure for trichloroethylene is 74 mm Hg at 25 °C, and it has a log octanol/water partition coefficient (log Kow) of 2.42. (1)Trichloroethylene is not a persistent chemical in the atmosphere; its half-life in air is about 7 days. (1)

What are the effects of trichloroethylene?

Acute Effects:Central nervous system effects are the primary effects noted from acute inhalation exposure to trichloroethylene in humans, with symptoms including sleepiness, fatigue, headache, confusion, and feelings of euphoria. Effects on the liver, kidneys, gastrointestinal system, and skin have also been noted.(1)