Risk Evaluation for Perchloroethylene

In December 2022, EPA released a final revised risk determination for perchloroethylene which amends the December 2020 risk evaluation for perchloroethylene 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 perchloroethylene as a whole chemical substance (rather than on individual conditions of use) and does not assume that all workers exposed to perchloroethylene 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.

EPA will next propose a rule to regulate perchloroethylene so that it no longer presents an unreasonable risk of injury to health. EPA will take public comment on any risk management action.

Find information about other chemicals undergoing risk evaluations under TSCA.

Learn more about risk management for perchloroethylene.

On this page:

Background on Perchloroethylene
Uses of Perchloroethylene
Risk Evaluation of Perchloroethylene under Amended TSCA

Background on Perchloroethylene

Perchloroethylene is a colorless liquid used primarily in industrial settings for the production of fluorinated compounds and as a solvent.

Uses of Perchloroethylene

This chemical is also used as a solvent for cleaning and degreasing, and in lubricants, adhesives, and sealants. Perchloroethylene has a limited number of consumer uses in products like adhesives for arts and crafts and stainless steel polish.

Risk Evaluation of Perchloroethylene under Amended TSCA

In December 2022, EPA released a final revised risk determination for perchloroethylene. The final revised risk determination finds that perchloroethylene presents an unreasonable risk of injury to human health under its conditions of use.

In the 2020 risk evaluation, EPA assessed the impact of perchloroethylene 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 perchloroethylene.

Read the 2020 risk evaluation for perchloroethylene.

In April 2020, EPA released the draft risk evaluation for perchloroethylene for public comment and peer review.

In June 2017, EPA released the scope document for perchloroethylene 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 perchloroethylene 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.