Risk Evaluation for Trichloroethylene (TCE)
In December 2024, EPA finalized a risk management rule to address unreasonable risk posed by trichloroethylene (TCE) to human health. Learn more about risk management for TCE.
In January 2023, EPA released a final revised risk determination for TCE which amended the November 2020 risk evaluation for TCE 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 TCE as a whole chemical substance (rather than on individual conditions of use) and does not assume that workers exposed to TCE 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 were part of the risk management process.
On this page:
- Background on TCE
- Uses of TCE
- Risk Evaluation of TCE under Amended TSCA
- Review of TCE Prior to Amended TSCA
On other pages:
- Learn more about risk management for TCE.
- Find information about other chemicals undergoing risk evaluations under TSCA.
Background on TCE
TCE is a volatile organic compound used mostly in industrial and commercial processes. An estimated 84% of TCE’s annual production volume is used as an intermediate in the manufacturing of refrigerants. Another 15% of TCE production volume is used as a degreasing solvent, leaving approximately 1% for other uses.
Uses of TCE
Commercial and industrial uses of TCE include as a solvent in industrial cleaning/degreasing, an ingredient in adhesives and sealants, in paints and coatings, and in automotive care products like brake cleaners. Consumer uses include cleaning and furniture care products, arts and crafts spray coatings, and automotive care products like brake cleaners, and other consumer products.
Risk Evaluation of TCE under Amended TSCA
In January 2023, EPA released a final revised risk determination for TCE for public comment. The final revised risk determination finds that TCE presents an unreasonable risk of injury to human health under its conditions of use.
In the 2020 risk evaluation, EPA assessed the impact of TCE on workers, occupational non-users, consumers, and bystanders. The primary health risks identified in the risk evaluation include developmental toxicity, reproductive toxicity, liver toxicity, kidney toxicity, immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity, and cancer from inhalation and dermal exposures. After reviewing these data, EPA determined that risk to workers, occupational non-users (workers nearby but not in direct contact with this chemical), consumers, and bystanders contributes to the whole chemical determination of unreasonable risk. Risk from 52 out of 54 conditions of use evaluated contribute to the final revised whole chemical determination of unreasonable risk of injury to health.
Two out of the 54 conditions of use do not contribute to the unreasonable risk: consumer use of TCE in pepper spray and distribution in commerce.
In November 2020, EPA released the risk evaluation for TCE.
In February 2020, EPA released the draft risk evaluation for TCE for public comment and peer review.
In June 2017, EPA released the scope document for TCE which included the hazards, exposures, conditions of use, and the potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulations EPA expected to consider in its risk evaluation of TCE conducted pursuant to TSCA section 6(b). In June 2018, EPA released the problem formulation for TCE which refined the scope of the TCE 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.
Review of TCE Prior to Amended TSCA
Prior to the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, EPA completed a risk assessment for TCE. In 2014, EPA published the following information: