What Is TCE? Biden Administration Pushes Ban On Common Cleaning Chemical Linked To Cancer

Topline

The Environmental Protection Agency proposed a ban Monday on trichloroethylene, a chemical used in common cleaning applications that poses an “unreasonable risk” to public health as exposure could result in an increased risk of cancer and possible damage to the immune and reproductive systems.

The Environmental Protection Agency said the chemical poses an “unreasonable risk” to public health.

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Key Facts

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a colorless and nonflammable liquid with a sweet odor, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and can be found in the air, water and soil in the area around where it is used or produced.

People are exposed to the chemical by inhalation, drinking contaminated water or eating foods that have been washed or processed with contaminated water, while people who work around the chemical may absorb it through the skin.

Exposure to “moderate” amounts of TCE—considered a carcinogen by the Department of Health and Human Services—may cause headaches, dizziness and sleepiness, though larger amounts could result in coma or death, according to the CDC.

Prolonged or repeated exposure to TCE can result in an increased risk of kidney cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute, and some evidence suggests the chemical may be associated with increased risks of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and liver cancer.

Other health issues have been linked to prolonged exposure to TCE, including possible damage to the immune and reproductive systems, according to the Minnesota Department of Health, which noted that exposure may affect fetal development during pregnancy.

It is not known how TCE might affect children differently, the CDC said, though some studies suggest developmental effects—including congenital art defects, central nervous system defects and small birth weight—are possible.

News Peg

The EPA has requested public comments on the proposed ban over a 45-day period before it is finalized. The proposal will ban most uses of TCE, including manufacturing commercial and consumer products, within a year. Other uses—manufacturing electric vehicle batteries and the manufacturing of some refrigerants—will be categorized as “limited” through a longer, unspecified transition period, with added worker protections. The ban follows an evaluation of the chemical released by the agency earlier this year, which indicated the chemical “presents an unreasonable risk of injury to human health.”

Chief Critic

The American Chemistry Council—representing U.S.-based chemical manufacturers—told the New York Times that the proposed ban is not based on “the best available science, including accurate assessments of exposure,” suggesting the EPA had not conducted “realistic” studies of the exposure to the chemical.

Surprising Fact

TCE was previously used as a surgical anesthetic, though it was later banned for this use by the Food and Drug Administration in 1977.

Big Number

52,595. That’s how many workers in the U.S. are exposed to TCE, according to estimates by the EPA. Of these, about 982 of the workers are pregnant.

Tangent

In 1982, the Marine Corps discovered volatile organic compounds that included TCE in the drinking water at Base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Contamination of drinking water at Camp Lejeune started in the early 1950s, according to the CDC’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, after water supply wells were contaminated by leaking storage tanks, industrial area spills and waste disposal sites. Contaminated drinking water impacted about 1 million people, though it is unknown how many people were exposed to TCE. Congress approved the Camp Lejeune Justice Act last year, allowing anyone injured or affected by contaminated drinking water at the base to file claims for recovery. About 93,000 claims have been filed as of September 6, 2023.

Key Background

Trichloroethylene is commonly used as a solvent to remove grease from metal parts, as well as in commercial dry cleaning and other applications, including common household products like cleaning wipes, aerosol cleaning products, spot removers and carpet cleaners, among other uses, according to the National Cancer Institute. The chemical is commonly used by several industries and is sold by most U.S. chemical manufacturers, including Exxon and Chevron. An initial ban on trichloroethylene was proposed under the Obama Administration in 2016, though the effort was delayed and later withdrawn by the Trump Administration in 2021. The Environmental Defense Fund—an environmental activist group—condemned the EPA’s decision to not ban TCE, noting “numerous flaws” by the agency to “understate the highly toxic chemical’s risks” to workers and the public.