Quantification of perchloroethylene residues in dry‐cleaned fabrics

Abstract

We have used a novel gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS)-based approach to quantify perchloroethylene (PCE) residues in dry-cleaned fabrics. Residual PCE was extracted from fabric samples with methanol and concentration was calculated by the gas chromatographic peak area, standardized using PCE calibration data. Extracts examined were from samples of 100% wool, polyester, cotton, or silk, which were dry cleaned from one to six times in seven different Northern Virginia dry-cleaning establishments. Additional experiments were conducted to investigate the kinetics of PCE release in the extraction solvent and to the open air. We found that polyester, cotton, and wool retained ≥ µM levels of PCE, that these levels increased in successive dry-cleaning cycles, and that PCE is slowly volatilized from these fabrics under ambient room air conditions. We found that silk does not retain appreciable PCE. Measured differences across dry-cleaning establishments and fabric type suggest more vigorous monitoring of PCE residues may be warranted. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2011;30:2481-2487. © 2011 SETAC.

Role of clothing in both accelerating and impeding dermal absorption of airborne SVOCs

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Determinants of personal, indoor and outdoor VOC concentrations: An analysis of the RIOPA data

“…This solvent has been widely used for dry cleaning clothes, and exposures occur when visiting dry cleaning establishments, and storing dry cleaned clothes at home, whether or not clothes are wrapped in plastic (Sherlach et al, 2011), as noted in Table 1. PERC exposures were higher among employed participants.…”

Partitioning of PCBs from air to clothing materials in a Danish apartment

“…Models that predict the impact of clothing on dermal uptake have been developed but require knowledge of the sorptive capacity of the clothing and its exposure history prior to being worn. Accumulation of organic compounds with clothing fabrics has been quantified using laboratory chambers, inferred from dynamic uptake experiments and from fabrics exposed to air in an office . The latter method best assesses the accumulation under real‐world environmental conditions.…”