A chemical widely used in dry cleaning and industrial processes could triple a person's risk of developing severe, potentially fatal liver damage, according to alarming new research.
The Hidden Danger in Dry Cleaning
The study, published in the journal Liver International, reveals a strong link between tetrachloroethylene (PCE) exposure and a significant increase in liver scarring, medically known as fibrosis. This scarring is a primary driver of liver failure and cancer.
Researchers from the University of Southern California analysed health data from 1,614 adults. They discovered that individuals with detectable levels of PCE in their blood were three times more likely to have significant liver damage compared to those without exposure.
How PCE Attacks the Liver
The main threat from PCE is not typically from wearing dry-cleaned clothes, but from broader environmental contamination of air and water. Once inside the body, the liver processes the chemical.
This process creates toxic byproducts that attack liver cells, degrading their fat membranes and triggering a destructive chain reaction of inflammation and scarring. The study found a shocking dose-effect: for every one nanogram per millilitre increase in PCE in the blood, the risk of significant liver scarring increased fivefold.
A Growing Public Health Crisis
Lead author Dr Brian Lee, a transplant hepatologist, emphasised the gravity of the findings. 'Liver fibrosis is the main predictor of liver-related morbidity and mortality,' he explained. 'The more liver fibrosis you have, the more likely you are to die from liver disease.'
This discovery is crucial as liver disease rates soar. The British Liver Trust estimates one in five people in the UK may now be affected, with deaths from liver disease reaching 11,000 last year. Worryingly, the condition is rising rapidly among younger adults and children, moving beyond its traditional association with the elderly and heavy drinkers.
In response to the mounting evidence, the US Environmental Protection Agency issued a final rule in 2024 to restrict PCE use, mandating a ten-year phase-out. Dr Lee urges doctors to consider environmental exposures and calls for policies to protect the public from such 'environmental poisons.'
