A widely used cleaning solvent found in dry cleaning shops and some household products may triple a person's risk of a serious liver disease marked by dangerous scarring, new research suggests.
The chemical, called tetrachloroethylene, or PCE, is a colorless liquid that helps dissolve grease and remove stains and has long been used in dry-cleaning machines, metal degreasers, adhesives, spot removers, and stainless steel polish.
Scientists from Keck Medicine of USC analyzed national health data from 1,614 U.S. adults and found that people with measurable PCE in their blood were more than three times as likely to have significant liver fibrosis compared with those without detectable exposure, according to SciTechDaily.
Liver fibrosis is a buildup of scar tissue that can progress to liver failure, liver cancer, or death if not detected early.
The study, published in the journal Liver International, is the first to examine PCE levels and liver scarring in a large sample of the general U.S. population rather than only workers in high-exposure jobs.
Researchers used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which regularly tests a representative cross-section of Americans, and found that about 7% of adults had detectable PCE in their blood between 2017 and 2020.
After adjusting for age, sex, race, education, and other health factors, the link between PCE and liver fibrosis remained strong, suggesting the chemical may be an underrecognized driver of liver disease.
The team also reported a clear dose-response pattern: for every one nanogram per milliliter increase in blood PCE concentration, the odds of significant liver fibrosis increased more than fivefold, Keck Medicine.
This association appeared to be independent of traditional causes of liver disease, such as heavy alcohol use or fat buildup related to obesity, diabetes, or high cholesterol. That finding could help explain why some patients develop serious liver damage despite having few of the usual risk factors, the authors said.
PCE typically reaches people through the air or contaminated water. Clothes just back from the dry cleaner can slowly release the solvent into indoor air for days, while spills and improper disposal have allowed the chemical to seep into soil and groundwater in some communities.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer already classifies PCE as a probable carcinogen and has linked it to bladder cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and other cancers, as well as liver damage in animal and human studies.
In response to mounting evidence, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has begun a 10-year phaseout of PCE in dry-cleaning and has restricted several industrial uses, but the solvent remains in some workplaces, consumer goods, and older contaminated sites.
The new findings add to growing concern that environmental chemicals, not just lifestyle factors, play a key role in rising liver disease rates and suggest that people with known PCE exposure may benefit from liver screening so damage can be caught earlier, as per Medical News Today.
