EPA Bans Two Chemicals Common in Dry Cleaning and Industrial Use

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has banned two chemicals commonly used in dry cleaning because of their toxicity and cancer risks. 

The EPA announced on Dec. 9 that it finalized the risk management regulations for trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

PCE is commonly used for dry cleaning clothing, and TCE was once used for dry cleaning but has been phased out for that use, according to a 2016 study. Still, both substances are also used in industrial degreasers, consumer adhesive products and paint and stain removing products, the Minnesota Department of Health reported. 

According to the EPA, both chemicals are volatile organic compounds and exposure to each comes with its own elevated risks of certain forms of cancer. 

“It’s simply unacceptable to continue to allow cancer-causing chemicals to be used for things like glue, dry cleaning or stain removers when safer alternatives exist,” Michal Freedhoff, assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, said in a statement. “These rules are grounded in the best-available science that demonstrates the harmful impacts of PCE and TCE.”

TCE is considered extremely toxic, even in small concentrations, and has been linked to liver cancer, kidney cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, fetal heart defects and damage to the central nervous system, kidneys, liver, immune system and reproductive organs, the EPA reported.

Most uses of TCE will be fully banned within the next year, while it will be phased out over a longer timeframe in select industrial uses that will still limit the amount during the phase-out period. The new ban also establishes an inhalation exposure limit that the EPA said would reduce long-term exposure for workers by about 97%.

PCE has been linked to liver cancer, brain cancer, kidney cancer and testicular cancer, along with kidney, liver and immune system damage. It has also been known to cause neurotoxicity and reproductive toxicity, according to the EPA.

The use of PCE in dry cleaning will now be phased out over a 10-year period, except for in new dry-cleaning machines, which will have to stop using PCE within six months. In other industrial and commercial uses, PCE is expected to be phased out within three years, as the EPA determined safer alternatives that are comparably effective to PCE are already available. The finalized PCE rules will be explained in an EPA announcement scheduled for January 15, 2025.

For workplaces that will continue using TCE and/or PCE in limited amounts or during a phase-out timeline, the EPA established a Workplace Chemical Protection Program, which companies have 30 months to implement.

“Despite their dangers, these chemicals could still be found in industries like dry cleaning, automotive repair and manufacturing,” Sen. Ed Markey (Mass.) said in a statement. “With no doubt that these chemicals are deadly, there is no doubt that this final rule will save lives — especially our children’s lives — around the country.”

For small businesses, the Biden administration has proposed funding to assist with the chemical phase-outs and TSCA compliance.

As Chemical and Engineering News reported, the EPA initially announced plans to phase-out PCE in 2023 after identifying related health risks to workers and consumers exposed to the chemical in 2020.

But at the state level, some states have established limits and bans to PCE use several years earlier. California initiated a phase-out of PCE in dry cleaning uses in 2007, with the full phase-out finalized by January 1, 2023, Chemical and Engineering News reported. 

As reported by The Council of State Governments Midwestern Office, Minnesota banned PCE use in 2021, with the full phase-out to be completed by January 1, 2026. The Minnesota legislation also includes funding to help dry cleaning businesses with the transition to alternatives as well as to financially support soil and groundwater cleanup of PCE contamination.