Toxic Cancer-Causing Chemicals Banned in US

Two toxic chemicals, trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE), have been partially banned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), according to a statement released on Monday. All uses of TCE and most uses of PCE will become illegal over time as a result of amendments to the bipartisan 2016 Toxic Substances Control Act, which seeks to protect consumers and workers from exposure to toxic chemicals. "It's simply unacceptable to continue to allow cancer-causing chemicals to be used for things like glue, dry cleaning or stain removers when safer alternatives exist," said Michal Ilana Freedhoff, assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, in a statement. In an X post on Monday, Senator Ed Markey said: "I met Anne Anderson in 1979. She told me that her young son Jimmy had leukemia. Woburn [Massachusetts] had been used as a dumping ground for toxic chemicals like TCE for decades—and kids like Jimmy were getting sick. After years of clean-up and fighting, I'm thrilling @EPA has banned TCE." TCE is an extremely toxic chemical used in cleaning products, brake cleaners, glues, paints, arts and crafts spray coatings and more. Exposure to a large amount at once on the skin can cause irritation, blisters and burns. If breathed in, TCE can cause headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, followed by clumsiness, drowsiness and difficulty speaking. In severe cases, it can cause coma, irregular heartbeats and death. Over time, chronic low-level exposure to TCE can cause liver cancer, kidney cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a cancer that starts in immune cells. It can also damage the nerves, brain, liver, kidneys, immune system and reproductive organs, and cause heart defects in fetuses. Safer alternatives to TCE are already available for most of its uses, so this ruling will ban the vast majority of TCE uses within a year and phase out any others. In industrial settings, for example, when TCE is used to clean aircraft parts, workplaces will have to adopt new worker protections for now, and these uses will eventually be prohibited. "With no doubt that these chemicals are deadly, there is no doubt that this final rule will save lives—especially our children's lives—around the country," said Markey in a statement.

PCE is believed to be slightly less toxic than TCE, but is still known to cause liver, kidney, brain and testicular cancer, as well as damage to the kidney, liver, immune system, brain and reproductive organs. PCE is widely used in consumer products, such as brake cleaners and glues, in commercial settings, notably dry cleaning, and many industrial settings—but there are safer alternatives available most of the time. This ruling will ban the use of PCE in all consumer products and many commercial settings. Some workplaces will be able to continue using PCE, but with strict worker protections in place. In some cases, PCE will replace TCE in industrial settings, but with workplace controls. On Wednesday, January 15, 2025, at 12:30 p.m. EST, the EPA will host a public webinar to explain the ruling and how it will be implemented. Newsweek has been in touch with the EPA and expects to receive additional comment from them soon. Is there a health problem that's worrying you? Do you have a question about toxic chemicals? Let us know via health@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice and your story could be featured in Newsweek.