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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

TETRACHLOROETHYLENE 

CAS#: 127-18-4 

Division of Toxicology September 1997 

This Public Health Statement is the summary 

chapter from the Toxicological Profile for 

Tetrachloroethylene. It is one in a series of Public 

Health Statements about hazardous substances and 

their health effects. A shorter version, the 

ToxFAQsTM, is also available. 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. For more information, 

call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-888-422-

8737. 

_____________________________________ 

This public health statement tells you about 

tetrachloroethylene and the effects of exposure. 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

identifies the most serious hazardous waste sites in 

the nation. These sites make up the National 

Priorities List (NPL) and are the sites targeted for 

long-term federal cleanup. Tetrachloroethylene has 

been found in at least 771 of the 1,430 current or 

former NPL sites. However, it's unknown how 

many NPL sites have been evaluated for this 

substance. As more sites are evaluated, the sites 

with tetrachloroethylene may increase. This is 

important because exposure to this substance may 

harm you and because these sites may be sources of 

exposure. 

When a substance is released from a large area, 

such as an industrial plant, or from a container, such 

as a drum or bottle, it enters the environment. This 

release does not always lead to exposure. You are 

exposed to a substance only when you come in 

contact with it. You may be exposed by breathing, 

eating, or drinking the substance or by skin contact. 

If you are exposed to tetrachloroethylene, many 

factors determine whether you'll be harmed. These 

factors include the dose (how much), the duration 

(how long), and how you come in contact with it. 

You must also consider the other chemicals you're 

exposed to and your age, sex, diet, family traits, 

lifestyle, and state of health. 

1.1 WHAT IS TETRACHLOROETHYLENE? 

Tetrachloroethylene is a synthetic chemical that is 

widely used for dry cleaning of fabrics and for 

metal-degreasing operations. It is also used as a 

starting material (building block) for making other 

chemicals and is used in some consumer products. 

Other names for tetrachloroethylene include 

perchloroethylene, PCE, perc, tetrachloroethene, 

perclene, and perchlor. 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 in 1 million parts of air (ppm) 

or more. In an experiment, some people could 

smell tetrachloroethylene in water at a level of 0.3 

ppm. 

1.2 WHAT HAPPENS TO 

TETRACHLOROETHYLENE WHEN IT 

ENTERS THE ENVIRONMENT? 

Tetrachloroethylene enters the environment mostly 

by evaporating into the air during use. It can also 

get into water supplies and the soil during disposal 

of sewage sludge and factory waste and when 

leaking from underground storage tanks. 

Tetrachloroethylene may also get into the air, soil, 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

TETRACHLOROETHYLENE 

CAS#: 127-18-4 

Division of Toxicology September 1997 

or water by leaking or evaporating from storage and 

waste sites. It can stay in the air for several months 

before it is broken down into other chemicals or is 

brought back down to the soil and water by rain. 

Much of the tetrachloroethylene that gets into water 

and soil will evaporate into the air. However, 

because tetrachloroethylene can travel through soils 

quite easily, it can get into underground drinking 

water supplies. If it gets into underground water, it 

may stay there for many months without being 

broken down. If conditions are right, bacteria will 

break down some of it and some of the chemicals 

formed may also be harmful. Under some 

conditions, tetrachloroethylene may stick to the soil 

and stay there. It does not seem to build up in 

animals that live in water, such as fish, clams, and 

oysters. We do not know if it builds up in plants 

grown on land. 

1.3 HOW MIGHT I BE EXPOSED TO 

TETRACHLOROETHYLENE? 

People can be exposed to tetrachloroethylene from 

environmental and occupational sources and from 

consumer products. Common environmental levels 

of tetrachloroethylene (called background levels) 

are several thousand times lower than levels found 

in some workplaces. Background levels are found 

in the air we breathe, in the water we drink, and in 

the food we eat. The chemical is found most 

frequently in air and, less often, in water. 

Tetrachloroethylene gets into air by evaporation 

from industrial or dry cleaning operations. It is also 

released from areas where chemical wastes 

containing it are stored. It is frequently found in 

water. For example, tetrachloroethylene was found 

in 38% of 9,232 surface water sampling sites 

throughout the United States. There is no similar 

information on how often the chemical is found in 

air samples, but we know it is widespread. We do 

not know how often it is found in soil, but in one 

study, it was found in 5% of 359 sediment samples. 

In general, tetrachloroethylene levels in air are 

higher in cities or industrial areas where it is in use 

more than in more rural or remote areas. You can 

smell it at levels of 1 ppm in air. However, the 

background level of tetrachloroethylene in air is 

usually less than 1 part in 1 billion parts of air 

(ppb). The air close to dry cleaning shops and 

chemical waste sites has levels of 

tetrachloroethylene higher than background levels. 

These levels are usually less than 1 ppm, the level at 

which you can smell it. Water, both above and 

below ground, may contain tetrachloroethylene. 

Levels in water are also usually less than 1 ppb. 

Levels in contaminated water near disposal sites are 

higher than levels in water far away from those 

sites. Water polluted with this chemical may have 

levels greater than 1 ppm. In soil, background 

levels are probably 100–1,000 times lower than 1 

ppm. 

You can also be exposed to tetrachloroethylene by 

using certain consumer products. Products that may 

contain it include water repellents, silicone 

lubricants, fabric finishers, spot removers, 

adhesives, and wood cleaners. Although 

uncommon, small amounts of tetrachloroethylene 

have been found in food, especially food prepared 

near a dry cleaning shop. When you bring clothes 

home from the dry cleaners, the clothes may release 

small amounts of tetrachloroethylene into the air. 

The full significance to human health of these 

exposures to small amounts of tetrachloroethylene 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

TETRACHLOROETHYLENE 

CAS#: 127-18-4 

Division of Toxicology September 1997 

is unknown, but to date, they appear to be relatively 

harmless. Tetrachloroethylene can also be found in 

the breast milk of mothers who have been exposed 

to the chemical. 

The people with the greatest chance of exposure to 

tetrachloroethylene are those who work with it. 

According to estimates from a survey conducted by 

the National Institute for Occupational Safety and 

Health (NIOSH), more than 650,000 U.S. workers 

may be exposed. 

For the general population, the estimated amount 

that a person might breathe per day ranges from 

0.08 to 0.2 milligrams. The estimated amount that 

most people might drink in water ranges from 

0.0001 to 0.002 milligrams per day. These are very 

small amounts. 

1.4 HOW CAN TETRACHLOROETHYLENE 

ENTER AND LEAVE MY BODY? 

Tetrachloroethylene can enter your body when you 

breathe air containing it. How much enters your 

body in this way depends on how much of the 

chemical is in the air, how fast and deeply you are 

breathing, and how long you are exposed to it. 

Tetrachloroethylene may also enter your body when 

you drink water or eat food containing the chemical. 

How much enters your body in this way depends on 

how much of the chemical you drink or eat. These 

two exposure routes are the most likely ways people 

will take in tetrachloroethylene. These are also the 

most likely ways that people living near areas 

polluted with the chemical, such as hazardous waste 

sites, might be exposed to it. If tetrachloroethylene 

is trapped against your skin, a small amount of it 

can pass through into your body. Very little 

tetrachloroethylene in the air can pass through your 

skin into your body. 

Most tetrachloroethylene leaves your body from 

your lungs when you breathe out. This is true 

whether you take in the chemical by breathing, 

drinking, eating, or touching it. A small amount of 

the tetrachloroethylene is changed by your body 

(especially your liver) into other chemicals that are 

removed from your body in urine. Most of the 

changed tetrachloroethylene leaves your body in a 

few days. Some of it that you take in is found in 

your blood and other tissues, especially body fat. 

Part of the tetrachloroethylene that is stored in fat 

may stay in your body for several days or weeks 

before it is eliminated. 

1.5 HOW CAN TETRACHLOROETHYLENE 

AFFECT MY HEALTH? 

To protect the public from the harmful effects of 

toxic chemicals and to find ways to treat people 

who have been harmed, scientists use many tests. 

One way to see if a chemical will hurt people is to 

learn how the chemical is absorbed, used, and 

released by the body; for some chemicals, animal 

testing may be necessary. Animal testing may also 

be used to identify health effects such as cancer or 

birth defects. Without laboratory animals, scientists 

would lose a basic method to get information 

needed to make wise decisions to protect public 

health. Scientists have the responsibility to treat 

research animals with care and compassion. Laws 

today protect the welfare of research animals, and 

scientists must comply with strict animal care 

guidelines. 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

TETRACHLOROETHYLENE 

CAS#: 127-18-4 

Division of Toxicology September 1997 

Tetrachloroethylene has been used safely as a 

general anesthetic agent, so at high concentrations, 

it is known to produce loss of consciousness. When 

concentrations in air are high—particularly in 

closed, poorly ventilated areas—single exposures 

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 the chemical. As you might expect, these 

symptoms occur almost entirely in work (or hobby) 

environments when individuals have been 

accidentally exposed to high concentrations or have 

intentionally abused tetrachloroethylene to get a 

"high." In industry, most workers are exposed to 

levels lower than those causing dizziness, 

sleepiness, and other nervous system effects. The 

health effects of breathing in air or drinking water 

with low levels of tetrachloroethylene are not 

definitely known. However, at levels found in the 

ambient air or drinking water, risk of adverse health 

effects is minimal. The effects of exposing babies 

to tetrachloroethylene through breast milk are 

unknown. 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 for sure 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 and liver and kidney 

cancers even though the relevance to people is 

unclear. Although it has not been shown to cause 

cancer in people, the U.S. Department of Health and 

Human Services has determined that 

tetrachloroethylene may reasonably be anticipated 

to be a human carcinogen. The International 

Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has 

determined that tetrachloroethylene is probably 

carcinogenic to humans. 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. Rats that were given oral doses of 

tetrachloroethylene when they were very young, 

when their brains were still developing, were 

hyperactive when they became adults. How 

tetrachloroethylene may affect the developing brain 

in human babies is not known. 

1.6 IS THERE A MEDICAL TEST TO 

DETERMINE WHETHER I HAVE 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. This test has been used to 

measure levels of the chemical in people living in 

areas where the air is contaminated with 

tetrachloroethylene or those exposed to the 

chemical through their work. Because it is stored in 

the body's fat and is slowly released into the 

bloodstream, it can be detected in the breath for 

weeks following a heavy exposure. 

Tetrachloroethylene can be detected in the blood. 

Also, breakdown products of the chemical can be 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

TETRACHLOROETHYLENE 

CAS#: 127-18-4 

Division of Toxicology September 1997 

detected in the blood and urine of people exposed to 

tetrachloroethylene. Trichloroacetic acid (TCA), a 

breakdown product of tetrachloroethylene can be 

detected for several days after exposure. These 

tests are relatively simple to perform. The breath, 

blood, or urine must be collected in special 

containers and then sent to a laboratory for testing. 

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 only to 

tetrachloroethylene. 

1.7 WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS HAS THE 

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MADE TO 

PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH? 

The federal government develops regulations and 

recommendations to protect public health. 

Regulations can be enforced by law. Federal 

agencies that develop regulations for toxic 

substances include the EPA, the Occupational 

Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the 

Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

Recommendations provide valuable guidelines to 

protect public health but cannot be enforced by law. 

Federal organizations that develop 

recommendations for toxic substances include the 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

(ATSDR) and NIOSH. 

Regulations and recommendations can be expressed 

in not-to-exceed levels in air, water, soil, or food 

that are usually based on levels that affect animals; 

then they are adjusted to help protect people. 

Sometimes these not-to-exceed levels differ among 

federal organizations because of different exposure 

times (an 8-hour workday or a 24-hour day), the use 

of different animal studies, or other factors. 

Recommendations and regulations are also 

periodically updated as more information becomes 

available. For the most current information, check 

with the federal agency or organization that 

provides it. Some regulations and 

recommendations for tetrachloroethylene include 

the following: 

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 (mg/L) (0.005 

ppm). 

EPA has established regulations and procedures for 

dealing with tetrachloroethylene, which it considers 

a hazardous waste. Many regulations govern its 

disposal. If amounts greater than 100 pounds are 

released to the environment, the National Response 

Center of the federal government must be told 

immediately. 

OSHA limits the amount of tetrachloroethylene that 

can be present in workroom air. This amount is 

limited to 100 ppm for an 8-hour workday over a 

40-hour workweek. NIOSH recommends that 

tetrachloroethylene be handled as a chemical that 

might potentially cause cancer and states that levels 

of the chemical in workplace air should be as low as 

possible. 

1.8 WHERE CAN I GET MORE 

INFORMATION? 

If you have any more questions or concerns, please 

contact your community or state health or 

environmental quality department or: 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 
 

 

 

 

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PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

TETRACHLOROETHYLENE 

CAS#: 127-18-4 

Division of Toxicology September 1997 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

Division of Toxicology 

1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32 

Atlanta, GA 30333 

Information line and technical assistance: 

Phone: 888-422-8737 

FAX: (770)-488-4178 

ATSDR can also tell you the location of 

occupational and environmental health clinics. 

These clinics specialize in recognizing, evaluating, 

and treating illnesses resulting from exposure to 

hazardous substances. 

To order toxicological profiles, contact: 

National Technical Information Service 

5285 Port Royal Road 

Springfield, VA 22161 

Phone: 800-553-6847 or 703-605-6000 

Reference 

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. 

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov