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This study examined relationships between indoor air, breath, and blood tetrachloroethylene (perc) levels and visual contrast sensitivity (VCS) among adult and child residents of buildings with or without a colocated dry cleaner using perc. Decreasing trends in proportions of adults or children with maximum VCS scores indicated decreased VCS at a single spatial frequency (12 cycles per degree [cpd]) among children residing in buildings with colocated dry cleaners when indoor air perc level averaged 336 μg/m³; breath perc level averaged 159.5 μg/m³; and blood perc level averaged 0.51 μg/L. Adjusted logistic regression indicated that increases in indoor air, breath, and blood perc levels among all child participants significantly increased the odds for decreased VCS at 12 cpd. Adult VCS was not significantly decreased by increasing indoor air, breath, or blood perc level. These results suggest that elevated residential perc exposures may alter children's VCS, a possible subclinical central nervous system effect.

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Fugitive tetrachloroethylene (PCE, perc) emissions from dry cleaners operating in apartment buildings can contaminate residential indoor air. In 1997, New York State and New York City adopted regulations to reduce and contain perc emissions from dry cleaners located in residential and other buildings. As part of a New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) study, indoor air perc levels were determined in 65 apartments located in 24 buildings in New York City where dry cleaners used perc on site. Sampling occurred during 2001–2003, and sampled buildings were dispersed across minority and nonminority as well as low-income and higher income neighborhoods. For the entire study area, the mean apartment perc level was 34 μg/m3, 10-fold lower than mean apartment levels of 340–360 μg/m3 documented before 1997. The maximum detected perc level was 5,000 μg/m3, 5-fold lower than the maximum of 25,000 μg/m3 documented before 1997. Despite these accomplishments, perc levels in 17 sampled apartments still exceeded the NYSDOH residential air guideline of 100 μg/m3, and perc levels in 4 sampled apartments exceeded 1,000 μg/m3. Moreover, mean indoor air perc levels in minority neighborhoods (75 μg/m3) were four times higher than in nonminority households (19 μg/m3) and were > 10 times higher in low-income neighborhoods (256 μg/m3) than in higher income neighborhoods (23 μg/m3). Logistic regression suitable for clustered data (apartments within buildings) indicated that perc levels on floors 1–4 were significantly more likely to exceed 100 μg/m3 in buildings located in minority neighborhoods (odds ratio = 6.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.5–30.5) than in nonminority neighborhoods. Factors that may be contributing to the elevated perc levels detected, especially in minority and low-income neighborhoods, are being explored.

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