Trichloroethylene Toxicity - Causes, Side Effects, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Introduction

Trichloroethylene is a chemically synthesized, colorless liquid and volatile organic chemical. It is mainly used to make various hydrofluorocarbons, refrigerants, and metal degreasing agents. In addition, the chemical is used in many household products like spray adhesives, aerosol cleaning products, cleaning wipes, paint removers, and drycleaners for spot removal in many commercial applications. The chemical can be found abundantly in the environment (water, air, and soil), primarily where it is used or produced. Trichloroethylene can accumulate in the groundwater and stay in the environment as a contaminant for a long time. People get exposed to trichloroethylene by eating contaminated food, drinking groundwater, inhaling the chemical from outdoor or indoor air, and working in TCE manufacturing industries.

What Are the Health Effects of Trichloroethylene Toxicity?

The health effects caused by trichloroethylene toxicity are as follows:

• Hepatic and Renal Effects - Trichloroethylene ingestion can lead to irritation in the gastrointestinal tract and cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Hepato or liver toxicity is mainly caused due to intentional trichloroethylene inhalation abuse. In addition, trichloroethylene toxicity can cause kidney damage, nephrotoxicity, and changes in the proximal tubules.

• Cardiac Effects - Trichloroethylene exposure as an anesthetic agent and acute occupational exposure can cause cardiac arrhythmia in people. In some cases, it also causes cardiac arrest and serious ventricular arrhythmias, rarely due to hypoxia from trichloroethylene toxicity in the body. Moreover, the chemical can also lead to enlarged heart and hypertension in people exposed to high levels of TCE.

• Neurological Effects - Trichloroethylene toxicity causes central nervous system symptoms, which can be acute or chronic depending upon the dose and duration of exposure. Short-term exposure to trichloroethylene produces symptoms such as headaches, drowsiness, mucus membrane irritation, and fatigue. Due to long-term chronic exposure, people complain about symptoms like ataxia, vertigo, headaches, decreased appetite, disturbed sleep, short-term memory loss, or trigeminal nerve dysfunction.

• Carcinogenic Effects - Studies have shown occupation exposure to trichloroethylene is associated with many incidences of prostate cancer, kidney cancer, liver cancer, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Some studies have also revealed the association of trichloroethylene toxicity with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and childhood leukemia in females.

• Reproductive and Developmental Effects - Trichloroethylene has the potential to cross the placenta in pregnant women and can get accumulate in the fetus. For example, a study in New Jersey revealed that drinking water contaminated with trichloroethylene is associated with neural tube defects (NTD) and oral clefts. Other studies have shown an association between TCE-contaminated drinking water and cleft lips, fetal deaths, choanal atresia, eye defects, hypospadias, and neural tube defects in newborns.

• Respiratory Effects - High concentration of trichloroethylene can cause bronchospasm, irritant-induced asthma, reactive airway dysfunction syndrome (RADS), and increased breathing rate and heart rate. However, there is less evidence of human lung damage due to trichloroethylene exposure.

• Dermatological (Skin) Effects - Dermal or skin contact with trichloroethylene can cause rashes, burns, and contact dermatitis.

What Are the Uses of Trichloroethylene?

Trichloroethylene is used for the following purposes:

• Trichloroethylene is used for the vapor degreasing of metal parts.

• It is also used as a solvent to extract oils, tars, grease, waxes, and fats.

• Trichloroethylene can also be used as a refrigerant and an intermediate chemical to produce other chemicals.

• In the past, trichloroethylene was also used as an anesthetic agent.

• It is also used in the correction fluid for typewriters, adhesives, paints, rug or carpet cleaning fluids, and spot removers.

What Are the Sources that Cause Trichloroethylene Toxicity?

The potential exposure sources of trichloroethylene include:

• In addition, Trichloroethylene is less soluble in water and can get migrated from the soil into the groundwater, thus contaminating the drinking water sources.

• Trichloroethylene is also detected in ambient air at less than 1 part per billion.

• People working in trichloroethylene manufacturing industries get exposure while working.

• People use products that contain chemicals from leaching and evaporation from waste disposal sites.

Who Is at Potential Risk of Developing Trichloroethylene Toxicity?

• Rubber cementers.

• Dry cleaners.

• Oil processors.

• Varnish workers.

• Printers.

• Shoemakers.

• Mechanics.

• Tobacco denicotinizers.

• Fabric and textile cleaners.

How Is Trichloroethylene Toxicity Diagnosed?

The diagnosis of trichloroethylene includes:

• Blood and urine tests.

• Physical examination and complete blood count.

• Liver and kidney function test.

• Serum creatinine test.

• Cardiac monitoring and electrocardiogram for heavy chemical exposure.

• Serologic marker assessment.

How Is Trichloroethylene Toxicity Treated?

There is no specific antidote treatment for managing trichloroethylene toxicity. However, acute trichloroethylene exposure can be treated with supportive care to manage airway obstruction and other related symptoms and remove the exposure source. Chronic exposure cases can be treated by individually evaluating the vital organs and providing supportive care and treatment to the exposed person.

How Is Trichloroethylene Toxicity Prevented?

People can prevent trichloroethylene toxicity in the following ways:

• First, known sources of drinking water contaminated with trichloroethylene should be avoided by people to minimize the health risks.

• People working in trichloroethylene industries or near any source of TCE should always work wearing protective equipment to avoid unnecessary exposure to synthetic chemicals.

• Also, children should be restricted from playing in areas where the soil is contaminated with trichloroethylene chemicals.

• One must always follow the instructions on product labels to reduce the risk of exposure to hazardous chemicals like trichloroethylene.

• The rescuer must safely shift a person exposed to trichloroethylene to the decontaminated area, and the rescuer should wear protective gear before contacting the exposed one.

Conclusion

Trichloroethylene causes potential health hazards in humans due to prolonged exposure. It poses severe physiological effects on a person causing toxicity to the kidney, liver, central nervous system, male reproductive system, immune system, and growing fetus or embryo. Chronic exposure to trichloroethylene can even lead to carcinogenic effects on human health. Furthermore, the chemical is readily available in the environment, widely used by people, and abundantly manufactured for various applications in daily life. Therefore, human exposure to trichloroethylene is a significant threat to humanity. Thus, people exposed to this chemical should follow preventive measures and consult a doctor in case of an emergency.