Tetrachloroethylene (PERC)
CAS ID #: 127-18-4
Affected Organ Systems: Developmental (effects during periods when organs are developing) , Neurological (Nervous System), Respiratory (From the Nose to the Lungs)
Cancer Classification: NTP: Reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen. EPA: Likely to be carcinogenic to humans. IARC: Probably carcinogenic to humans
Please contact NTP, IARC, or EPA’s IRIS Hotline with questions on cancer and cancer classification.
Chemical Classification: Volatile organic compoundsSummary: Tetrachloroethylene is a manufactured chemical that is widely used for dry cleaning of fabrics and for metal-degreasing. It is also used to make other chemicals and is used in some consumer products.
Community Members
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Summary about a hazardous substance taken from Chapter One of its respective ATSDR Toxicological Profile.
U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina was established in 1942. In 1982, the Marine Corps discovered specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the drinking water provided by two of the eight water treatment plants on base.
Water from the Tarawa Terrace Treatment Plant was contaminated by PCE (perchloroethylene or tetrachloroethylene).
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Toxicological and Health Professionals
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The MRL is an estimate of the daily human exposure to a hazardous substance that is likely to be without appreciable risk of adverse, non-cancer health effects over a specified duration of exposure. The information in this MRL serves as a screening tool to help public health professionals decide where to look more closely to evaluate possible risk of adverse health effects from human exposure.
Succintly characterizes the toxicologic and adverse health effects information for mixtures of hazardous substances.
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- Page last reviewed: March 3, 2011
- Page last updated: March 3, 2011
- Content source: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
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