Human exposure to tetrachloroethylene: inhalation and skin contact

There is considerable potential for worker exposure to tetrachloroethylene, both by skin contact and by inhalation, during its use in dry cleaning and degreasing operations. This paper reviews accounts of both accidental overexposures of workers and controlled exposures of human subjects by these two routes of exposure. Several reported cases of accidental overexposure to anesthetic doses of the chemical reveal that recovery was generally complete but prolonged, and accompanied by many days of measurable levels of the chemical in the patient's alveolar breath. Chronic overexposures of workmen have lessened since the general acceptance by the Western world of the recommended TLV of 100 ppm for 8 hr of daily exposure. Controlled inhalation studies with volunteer subjects at this level of exposure revealed no effects upon health but did indicate a slight decrement in performance on a coordination test. Additional behavioral and neurological tests revealed no interactive effects when alcohol or diazepam, two depressant drugs, were added singly to tetrachloroethylene exposures. Individual susceptibility to the vapor of this chemical, as evidenced by subjective complaints, was noted in approximately one of ten subjects. The authors conclude that the TLV concentration of 100 ppm in the workplace has a negligible margin of safety regarding unimpaired performance during repeated exposures which could be especially hazardous if the worker is physically active or is in a situation where skin absorption presents an added burden.