New York Firm Identifies TCE and Other Hazardous Exposure Risks across the Tri-State Area
On November 3rd, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the 14th Report on Carcinogens (RoC) containing seven newly reviewed substances. One of substances was trichloroethylene (TCE), a volatile chemical compound that is used mainly as a solvent to remove grease from metal parts and is also used in some adhesives, paint removers, and spot removers.
According to the National Toxicology Program (NTP), the interagency program that prepared the RoC for the HHS, studies have found an increased risk for kidney cancer from occupational exposure to TCE. NTP reports, “Based on numerous human studies that show a causal association between exposure to TCE and an increased cancer risk, as well as similar findings in animals, TCE is being upgraded to known to be a human carcinogen. It was first listed in the Report on Carcinogens in 2000 as reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.”
TCE can be released into the air, water, and soil at places where it is produced, used, or disposed of. Although TCE breaks down rather quickly in air, it breaks down slowly in soil or water, and has been found in underground water sources and surface waters.
“Throughout New York and the tri-state region, TCE has been used in large volume for a number of years and unfortunately there are many locations polluted with this hazardous chemical compound,” said Michael Berrevoets, President, VOETS, LLC. “Workers in industries that utilize this compound could be at risk of exposure. Also, people who live, work, or go to school in buildings constructed near contaminated soil and groundwater could also be at risk due to the fact that TCE from below a home or building can migrate into a structure through a process known as vapor intrusion.”
The environmental and indoor air quality professionals at VOETS offer testing and consulting services to identify TCE and a wide range of chemical compounds. These services can identify potential problems and are instrumental for developing mitigation efforts to protect workers and the public if TCE is found.