It is found in consumer items and used in dry cleaning, but it can triple the risk of liver fibrosis, a new study reveals.
It is everywhere, and it is — indeed — impossible to escape it. Tetrachloroethylene (PCE), a chemical compound widely used in dry cleaning and present in everyday products such as adhesives for crafts, stain removers and stainless steel polishes, is after all a potential threat to liver health.
“This study, the first to examine the association between PCE levels in humans and significant liver fibrosis, underscores the underappreciated role that environmental factors may play in liver health,” said Brian P. Lee, a hepatologist and liver transplant specialist at Keck Medicine and lead author of the paper published in Liver International.
“The results suggest that exposure to PCE may be the reason why one person develops liver disease while another, with the same health and demographic profile, does not,” he tells .
People are typically exposed to PCE through the air — for example, the chemical may slowly free yourself from clothes after dry cleaning.
PCE may also be present in drinking water due to contamination resulting from spills or inadequate disposal, which allows it to infiltrate the soil and groundwater.
“There is no doubt that there are other toxicants in the environment, in addition to PCE, that are dangerous to the liver,” said the scientist.
“May our research help the public and doctors understand the link between PCE exposure and significant liver fibrosis,” he added. “If more people exposed to PCE are screened for liver fibrosis, the disease can be detected earlierincreasing the chances of recovering liver function.”
