It is used primarily to make refrigerants and other hydrofluorocarbons and as a degreasing solvent for metal equipment. TCE is also used in some household products, such as cleaning wipes, aerosol cleaning products, tool cleaners, paint removers, spray adhesives, and carpet cleaners and spot removers.
TCE, one of the first 10 chemicals, is a chemical used in dry cleaning, cleaning wipes, adhesives, and a range of other products. EPA has classified it as a known carcinogen.
Fetal toxicity and concerns for carcinogenic potential of TCE led to its abandonment in developed countries by the 1980s. The use of trichloroethylene in the food and pharmaceutical industries has been banned in much of the world since the 1970s due to concerns about its toxicity.
TCE is carcinogenic to humans by all routes of exposure and poses a potential human health hazard for noncancer toxicity to the central nervous system, kidney, liver, immune system, male reproductive system, and the developing embryo/fetus.
