The U.S. EPA finalized a revision on cleaning agent perchloroethylene, finding that PCE presents an unreasonable risk of injury.
The agency says the next step in the process is to develop a risk management rulemaking to identify and apply measures that will manage these risks.
PCE is used in production of fluorinated compounds, as a solvent for cleaning and degreasing, and in lubricants, adhesives and sealants. In its revised risk determination based on the 2020 risk evaluation, EPA says it found that PCE presents unreasonable risk to the health of workers, consumers and bystanders. EPA says identified risks for adverse human health effects not related to cancer, including neurotoxicity and liver effects, from acute and chronic inhalation and dermal exposures to PCE. EPA also identified risks for cancer from chronic inhalation and dermal exposures to PCE.
“EPA used the whole chemical risk determination approach for PCE in part because there are benchmark exceedances for multiple conditions of use for health of workers, occupational non-users, consumers and bystanders,” the agency says. “And because the health effects associated with PCE exposures are severe and potentially irreversible (specifically neurotoxicity and cancer).”
Next Steps for PCE
EPA says it is moving forward on risk management to address the unreasonable risk presented by PCE. In June 2021, EPA announced a path forward for the first 10 chemicals to undergo risk evaluation under TSCA. The revised risk determination for PCE was developed in accordance with these policy changes, as well as the Biden-Harris Administration’s Executive Orders and other directives.
Separately, EPA says it is conducting a screening-level approach to assess risks from the air and water pathways for several of the first 10 chemicals, including PCE. The goal of the screening approach is to evaluate the surface water, drinking water, and ambient air pathways for PCE that were excluded from the 2020 risk evaluation, and to determine if there are risks that were unaccounted for in that risk evaluation. EPA says it expects to describe its findings regarding the chemical-specific application of this screening-level approach in its proposed risk management rule for PCE.
For additional information, please visit https://www.epa.gov/assessing-and-managing-chemicals-under-tsca/final-risk-evaluation-perchloroethylene#docs
