PCE and its relation to clean clothes
PCE (tetrachloroethylene)
is a readily volatile substance found as a synthetic raw material of hydro
chlorofluorocarbon, a dry cleaning agent. There is no natural source for this
substance and is mostly commonly found around dry cleaner businesses. Because
it can easily transport in the air, the contaminated air can also be found
outside of dry cleaners and nearby businesses. Another common pathway for
exposure is by taking fresh dry cleaned clothes to houses and by exhaling
PCE-rich air. Although not as likely, PCE can be found at homes in the showers
and drinking water that are contaminated. The PCE concentration in common houses
are 2 μg/m3 while it is about 260 μg/m3 in dry cleaners. In industries that use heavy
amounts of dry cleaning agents can go all the way up to 1 million μg/m3.
For humans, exposure
to PCE can cause severe damage to eyes, kidney, liver, lungs, skin, and most
importantly central nervous system. PCE affects the CNS by loss of
coordination, mood swings, and/or anesthetic effects. Due to its toxic nature
to humans, Clean Air Council in Philadelphia had given out rebates to dry
cleaner businesses to replace the toxic solvents with healthier alternatives.
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