Researchers: Chemical Used in Dry Cleaning Linked to Significant Risk of Liver Fibrosis

Researchers have found exposure to a common chemical used in dry cleaning, some adhesives, spot cleaners, and stainless steel polish, may be linked to a liver disease. The issue centers around the chemical known as Tetrachloroethylene (PCE), Fox News reported Tuesday. Researchers with the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California said it was linked to three times greater odds of liver fibrosis in adults. The group published their findings in the journal Liver International. According to an article from Healthline, “Liver fibrosis occurs when the healthy tissue of your liver becomes scarred and cannot work as well. Fibrosis is the first stage of liver scarring. Some fibrosis can be reversible.” The outlet continued: Per the Fox article, researchers said greater exposure to the chemical resulted in a higher likelihood of a person developing the disease. After analyzing blood samples from over 1,600 adults between 2017 and 2020, the scientists said they noted that seven percent of the population had detectable levels of the chemical. “Next, the group looked at which individuals with PCE in their blood showed signs of significant liver fibrosis. Those exposed to the chemical were three times more likely to have notable liver fibrosis than those without exposure,” the report stated. According to SciTechDaily, exposure to the chemical can happen when it is in the air, adding, “The chemical can be slowly released into the air over time from clothes that have been dry cleaned. PCE can also be present in drinking water from contaminated sites due to spills and improper disposal of PCE that can seep into the soil and then into the groundwater.” The liver is the biggest human organ and performs hundreds of functions on a daily basis, per Johns Hopkins Medicine.