Evidence Increases For Toxicity Of TCE

Enough evidence exists for the Environmental Protection Agency to complete a risk assessment of trichloroethylene (TCE) now, according to a new report from the National Research Council (NRC). The evidence on cancer and other adverse health effects from TCE exposure has strengthened since 2001, the report notes.

In 2001, EPA issued a draft risk assessment of TCE, a solvent used as a degreasing agent. The assessment triggered a storm of controversy between EPA and the Departments of Defense and Energy. EPA was accused that it had used "junk science" in its risk assessment. As a result, NRC was asked to evaluate the evidence for health risks from TCE.

About 1,400 military installations, many located in California, are polluted with TCE. It is a contaminant at nearly half the Superfund sites around the country.

The NRC report found that TCE is a potential cause of kidney cancer and that it may cause reproductive and developmental problems, impaired neurological function, and autoimmune disease.

The panel that wrote the report recommends studies to understand the mechanisms by which TCE causes cancer and other health problems and to identify which populations are most sensitive to the effects of TCE. It urges EPA and other federal agencies to complete their risk assessments of TCE soon using "currently available data."