By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to ban the use of trichloroethylene (TCE) in aerosol degreasers and as a spot-removal agent in dry cleaning. TCE is a volatile organic compound that is primarily used to process refrigerants. It is also used in some consumer commercial products as a metal degreasing solvent since it is relatively inexpensive, has a low fire risk, quickly evaporates and requires no rinsing. For the latter use, the EPA has identified some potential health risks that can be addressed by switching to alternative chemicals. Consequently, the EPA is proposing to prohibit the manufacture, importing, processing and distribution in commerce of TCE for aerosol degreasing and for spot cleaning.
For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.