Health and reproductive status of female workers in dry cleaning shops

This study concerns 67 women working in 53 dry cleaning shops in the city of Rome. The survey includes data on work habits, health problems and reproductive histories. Exposure to the prevalent solvent used in dry cleaning (tetrachloroethylene) was evaluated by the trichloroacetic acid (TCA) concentration in the urine. Exposure was four times higher among dry cleaners than among women doing only ironing and among the controls. However, the TCA values were still low, thus suggesting ambient concentrations within the acceptable limits. The health of these women was satisfactory, and no overt reproductive pathology was detected. The methodological limitations and the small sample size, however, do not permit firm conclusions.