Risk Evaluation for Perchloroethylene (PCE)
In June 2023, EPA proposed a risk management rule to address unreasonable risk posed by perchloroethylene (PCE) to human health. Learn more and submit a comment.
In December 2022, EPA released a final revised risk determination for PCE which amends the December 2020 risk evaluation for PCE under the amended Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The final revisions to the risk determination were made in accordance with the path forward for the first 10 risk evaluations under TSCA laid out by EPA in June 2021. The final revised risk determination is based on PCE as a whole chemical substance (rather than on individual conditions of use) and does not assume that all workers exposed to PCE are always provided or appropriately wear personal protective equipment. The consideration of information on use of personal protective equipment, engineering controls, and other ways industry protects its workers as potential ways to address unreasonable risks will be part of the risk management process.
Find information about other chemicals undergoing risk evaluations under TSCA.
Learn more about risk management for PCE.
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Background on PCE
PCE is a colorless liquid used primarily in industrial settings for the production of fluorinated compounds and as a solvent.
Uses of PCE
This chemical is also used as a solvent for cleaning and degreasing, and in lubricants, adhesives, and sealants. PCE has a limited number of consumer uses in products like adhesives for arts and crafts and stainless steel polish.
Risk Evaluation of PCE under Amended TSCA
In December 2022, EPA released a final revised risk determination for PCE. The final revised risk determination finds that PCE presents an unreasonable risk of injury to human health under its conditions of use.
In the 2020 risk evaluation, EPA assessed the impact of PCE on workers, occupational non-users (workers nearby but not in direct contact with this chemical), consumers, and bystanders. The primary health risks identified in the 2020 risk evaluation are neurotoxicity from short and long-term exposure to the chemical and cancer from long-term exposure. After reviewing these data, EPA determined that risk to workers, occupational non-users, consumers, and bystanders drive the whole chemical determination of unreasonable risk. Risk from 60 out of 61 conditions of use evaluated drive the final revised whole chemical determination of unreasonable risk of injury to health.
One out of 61 conditions of use does not drive the unreasonable risk: distribution in commerce.
In December 2020, EPA released the risk evaluation for PCE.
In April 2020, EPA released the draft risk evaluation for PCE for public comment and peer review.
In June 2017, EPA released the scope document for PCE which included the hazards, exposures, conditions of use, and the potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulations EPA expected to consider in its risk evaluation. In June 2018, EPA released the problem formulation for PCE which refined the scope of the risk evaluation by clarifying the chemical conditions of use that EPA expected to evaluate and describing how EPA expected to conduct the evaluation.
After releasing the scope documents for each of the first 10 chemicals undergoing risk evaluation under TSCA, the dockets for each of these first 10 chemicals were open for public comments. Read EPA’s Responses to Public Comments Received on the Scope Documents for the First Ten Chemicals for Risk Evaluation under TSCA. This document addresses cross-cutting public comments received in response to the scope document.