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Perchloroethylene

Synonyms: Tetrachloroethylene, PCE

CAS Number: 127-18-4

SERIOUS
health hazard

MODERATE
health hazard

FEW OR NO
health hazards

0 79
80 89
90 100
49

Sources of exposure:

Industrial use

Environmental pollution (water, air, and soil), drinking water, occupational exposure

Description:

Perchloroethylene is a volatile organic compound used as an industrial solvent and dry-cleaning agent. It is highly toxic, environmentally persistent, and subject to increasing restrictions and bans, though some uses remain.

Health concerns:

Cancer

Known or suspected to increase cancer risk in humans.

Neurotoxicity

May impact brain function or development.

Organ System Toxicity

May cause organ damage and disease.

Immunotoxicity & Allergens

May impact immune system function or cause allergic reactions.

Respiratory Toxicity & Asthmagens

May damage the lungs or trigger asthma.

Irritant

May cause skin, eye, or respiratory irritation.

Ecotoxicity

May be toxic to ecosystems and wildlife.

Banned/restricted lists:

  • EPA. Perchloroethylene (PCE)
  • Regulation Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

References

  1. US Environmental Protection Agency. Cheminformatics Modules, Computational Toxicology and Exposure Informatics (CompTox).
  2. California Department of Public Health. California Safe Cosmetics Reportable Ingredients List.
  3. US National Library of Medicine. PubChem database.

HOW MILLION MARKER SCORES CHEMICALS

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We identified key chemicals based on a database compiling dozens of authoritative sources, screening tools, and QSAR models.

Hazard scores within 11 different health categories (carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, reproductive toxicants, developmental toxicants, genotoxicity, neurotoxicity, organ system toxicity, immunotoxicity, respiratory toxicity, skin/eye/respiratory irritants, and ecotoxicity).

They are weighted based on several factors, including strength of evidence for adverse impacts in humans, severity, and potential contamination.

For more information on our scoring methodology visit this page.