Trichloroethylene, Tetrachloroethylene, and Some Other Chlorinated Agents

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This Volume of the IARC Monographs provides an assessment of the carcinogenic hazards
associated with exposure to seven chlorinated solvents, including trichloroethylene,
tetrachloroethylene, and their metabolites (dichloroacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid, and
chloral hydrate). All these agents were previously assessed by IARC Working Groups more
than 10 years ago, and new epidemiological and mechanistic evidence has been considered
in this reevaluation.
Trichloroethylene has been used in several industries, such as manufacture and repair of
aircraft and automobiles, and in screw-cutting, while tetrachloroethylene is widely used in
dry-cleaning and as a feedstock for the production of chlorinated chemicals.
The IARC Monographs Working Group relied on epidemiological evidence, carcinogenicity
bioassays, and mechanistic and other relevant data to evaluate the carcinogenic hazards to
humans exposed to these agents.