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Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Case Studies in Environmental Medicine (CSEM)
Trichloroethylene Toxicity What is Trichloroethylene?
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Upon completion of this section, you should be able to:
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TCE (Cl2C=CHCl) is a clear, colorless, nonflammable liquid possessing a sweet, fruity odor characteristic of chloroform. The odor threshold is approximately 100 parts per million (ppm) (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 1997). |
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Estimated use patterns suggest that 80% of TCE is used for vapor degreasing of fabricated metal parts in the automotive and metal industries.
Consumer products that contain TCE include:
- adhesives
- spot removers
- cleaning fluids for rugs
- paint removers/strippers
- typewriter correction fluids
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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.) |
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Trichloroethylene is also known as
- acetylene trichloride
- ethylene trichloride
- TCE
- Tri
- trichloroethene
Trade names for trichloroethylene include:
- Benzinol
- Circosolve
- Flock Fli,
- Narcogen
- Perm-A-Chlor
- Tri-clene
- Vestrol
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- TCE is used mainly for vapor degreasing of fabricated metal parts in the automotive and metal industries.
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