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Name: Tetrachloroethylene
Common Names: Perchloroethylene, PCE
Chemical Formula: C2Cl4
Appearance: Colorless liquid, sweet odor reminiscent of ether
Primary Use: Dry cleaning, degreasing metal parts, chemical intermediate
Main Risks: Inhalation leads to dizziness, headaches, drowsiness, and can trigger unconsciousness at high concentrations. Skin contact causes irritation, possible dermatitis on repeated exposure. Eyes take the brunt with redness, burns, or even lasting damage after direct splashes. Tetrachloroethylene brings chronic concerns with long exposure—a raised risk for liver and kidney injury, with research showing possible carcinogenic effects recognized by international health bodies. Often, high-vapor levels hang in poorly ventilated rooms, boosting the risk for anyone inside.
Primary Ingredient: Tetrachloroethylene: 100%
CAS Number: 127-18-4
Inhalation: Remove person to fresh air right away. If breathing stops or slows, trained responders must give artificial respiration or oxygen. Seek medical care for ongoing symptoms, even if revived. People sometimes try to “tough it out” but delayed effects dependent on dose and length of exposure can crop up.
Skin Contact: Rinse skin with running water for at least 15 minutes. Strip off contaminated clothing and wash exposed skin thoroughly. Seek medical advice if irritation lingers.
Eye Contact: Flush eyes with water for at least 15 minutes, keeping eyelids apart. Medical follow-up is needed even for minor symptoms due to the corrosive nature of this solvent.
Ingestion: Rinse mouth. Don’t induce vomiting; giving liquids doesn’t help. Immediate medical attention is critical since swallowing poses life-threatening risks, especially as the solvent can slip into the lungs.
Flammability: Nonflammable under normal conditions, but it generates toxic gases like hydrogen chloride, phosgene, and chlorine when exposed to fire. Firefighters need to use full protective gear and a self-contained breathing apparatus.
Suitable Media: Foam, carbon dioxide, or dry chemical for nearby burning materials.
Hazardous Combustion Products: Phosgene, hydrogen chloride, carbon monoxide—all of which carry their own health consequences if inhaled.
Particular Risk: Containers exposed to fire or heat can burst. Move them from fire area if safe, or cool with lots of water spray.
Personal Precautions: Avoid breathing vapors. Ventilate area well before entry. Gloves, goggles, and chemical-resistant clothing make a basic shield for responders.
Environmental Protection: Prevent solvent from flowing into drains, soil, or surface water; local wildlife and water supplies can suffer lasting damage from spills.
Cleanup: Absorb small spills with inert material like sand, not sawdust or anything flammable. Use spark-proof tools. Gather used materials into sealed, labeled containers for safe disposal according to regulations.
Handling: Only work with tetrachloroethylene in areas with good ventilation, or use fume hoods. Static electricity can ignite nearby combustibles, so ground and bond containers. Never let vapor levels rise, especially in enclosed rooms.
Storage: Store tightly closed containers in a cool, dry, well-ventilated location, away from sunlight, heat, and ignition sources. Don’t place near oxidizers, metals, or caustics. Store below eye level to reduce hazard if containers leak or fall. Regular inspections for leaks or corrosion—especially in older facilities—help keep an eye on trouble.
Exposure Limits: Regulatory bodies set tight limits for safe airborne concentrations—often 25 parts per million (ppm) as an 8-hour average. Short-term exposure limits may be stricter. Employers following law must check air quality and adjust work rules when vapor concentrations creep up.
Personal Protective Equipment: Respirators come into play for many jobs: facilities often choose air-purifying respirators with organic vapor cartridges or even supplied-air systems. Chemical splash goggles and gloves—nitrile or Viton—stand up well to the solvent. Chemical-resistant coveralls protect the rest of the skin. Workers, especially in dry cleaning or industrial degreasing, deserve training to understand how these suits work and when to use each.
Engineering Controls: Local exhaust ventilation keeps air clear. Closed handling systems, splash guards at transfer points, and routine air sampling all chip away at risk.
Appearance: Clear, colorless liquid
Odor: Sweet, ether-like smell
Boiling Point: 121 °C
Melting Point: -22 °C
Vapor Pressure: Moderate at room temperature
Density: 1.62 g/cm³ (heavier than water)
Solubility: Slight in water, mixes well with many organic liquids
Evaporation Rate: High enough to concentrate vapors quickly indoors
Stability: Stable in sealed containers away from heat and light
Chemical Stability: Tetrachloroethylene keeps its cool in ordinary storage but reacts with strong bases, metals like aluminum, and intense heat. Dangerous gases come from decomposition—phosgene and hydrogen chloride both deserve great respect. Avoid using the chemical in systems prone to sparks or high temperature breakdown.
Incompatibilities: Strong oxidizers, caustic alkalis, finely divided metals
Hazardous Reactions: Risk of violent reaction or poisoning if mixed with the wrong materials or allowed to degrade in sunlit or overheated storage.
Acute Effects: Short-term exposure brings headaches, drowsiness, irritability, and possible coma at high doses. High vapor concentrations, common in dry cleaning shops without fresh air, affect coordination and reflexes—someone at work can easily make a careless mistake.
Chronic Effects: Repeated or long-term exposures—sometimes for years in industrial settings—harm the liver, kidneys, and nervous system. Memory and mood changes have been observed. Some evidence links regular workplace exposure to higher risks of cancer; international health groups classify tetrachloroethylene as a possible human carcinogen.
Routes of Exposure: Inhalation stands as the primary risk, with skin absorption and eye contact also dangerous.
Environment Persistence: Tetrachloroethylene doesn’t break down quickly in soil or water. Released spills sink below groundwater, making cleanup costly and time-consuming. The chemical bioaccumulates little in the food chain, yet toxic effects on fish and plants mean accidental discharges reach far.
Mobility: Travels quickly through soil and sand. Leaks from equipment, tanks, or wastewater pipes can find their way into aquifers.
Ecotoxicity: Even low concentrations harm aquatic life, suppressing growth, damaging organs, or killing sensitive species.
Approach: Hazardous waste facilities receive used or excess material. Never pour into the sewer, storm drains, or onto open ground since even small spills add up over time. Drums or containers used for tetrachloroethylene must go through special cleaning or get treated as hazardous waste. Many countries set strong rules on waste tracking and final disposal steps—ignoring these rules can result in local contamination and fines.
Shipping Rules: Transport regulations list tetrachloroethylene as a hazardous material. Trucks and trains hauling barrels need proper labels, secure containers, and trained drivers. Emergency procedures cover leaks, fires, or exposure accidents on the road. Anyone loading or unloading containers, especially on docks or at warehouses, should keep spill kits and emergency showers on hand.
Laws and Guidelines: Governments recognize the risks of tetrachloroethylene and set limits for workplace exposure, environmental release, transport, and disposal. Occupational health agencies put strict caps on allowed levels in workplace air. Environmental protection laws, especially in areas near groundwater or rivers, set requirements for leak prevention and reporting. Industries that use this chemical can expect regular inspections to enforce these standards—ignoring rules or hiding spills usually leads to stiff penalties and legal trouble.
