Dry-cleaning danger: This everyday habit could be hurting your health
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A new study has raised alarm over a chemical commonly used in dry cleaning, warning that exposure could lead to serious liver damage, including cirrhosis and cancer.
According to research published in Liver International, the official journal of the International Association for the Study of the Liver, exposure to tetrachloroethylene (PCE) — a chemical widely used in dry cleaning — may triple the risk of developing severe liver fibrosis. The condition can cause irreversible liver scarring that may progress to liver cancer, failure or even death. PCE is also found in everyday household products such as craft adhesives, stain removers and stainless-steel polish.
A research team from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California analyzed data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 2017 and 2020, tracking PCE exposure among adults aged 20 and older. They found detectable PCE levels in about 7 percent of participants. Those with measurable PCE in their blood were three times more likely to suffer from severe liver fibrosis compared with those unexposed. The findings held true across all age groups, ethnicities, income levels and health backgrounds.
Researchers said that individuals from higher-income households are more likely to be exposed, possibly because they use dry cleaning services more frequently. They warned that PCE can slowly evaporate from dry-cleaned clothes over time, releasing the chemical into indoor air. People who use household products containing PCE or live near contaminated water sources may also face increased risks, they added.
The study further revealed that for every one-nanogram increase in blood PCE concentration per milliliter, the likelihood of severe liver fibrosis increased fivefold. Even people without traditional liver risk factors — such as alcohol consumption, obesity or hepatitis — faced a higher danger if their blood PCE levels were elevated. Patients often ask how they can have liver disease when they don’t drink or have any other risk factors, and the answer could be PCE exposure, according to the researchers.
PCE is a colorless synthetic solvent used industrially to remove grease and stains. It can gradually evaporate into the air and seep into soil and groundwater through factory waste or improper disposal, contaminating drinking water supplies. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies PCE as a probable human carcinogen linked to bladder cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma.
This article from Kormedi.com, Korea’s top health care and medical portal, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.