perchloroethylene
noun
per·chlo·ro·eth·y·lene
(ˌ)pər-ˌklȯr-ō-ˈe-thə-ˌlēn 
: a colorless nonflammable toxic liquid C2Cl4 used often as a solvent in dry cleaning and for removal of grease from metals
Examples of perchloroethylene in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Between 1953 and 1987, the base's water supply was contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as perchloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE), exceeding safe limits by up to 3,400 times.
—
Jeremy Yurow, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2024
An oil or grease stain can be cleaned using paper and then a blotter with perchloroethylene.
—Samantha S. Thorpe, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2023
What few locals know, let alone tourists, is that the city also houses one of the largest dry cleaning Superfund sites in the U.S.
From 1952 to 2008, Tuchman Cleaners laundered clothes using perchloroethylene, or PERC, a neurotoxin and possible carcinogen.
—Elizabeth Kryder-Reid, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2023
Additional remediation efforts against perchloroethylene, a solvent used in dry cleaning, continued into the 2010s.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 25 Feb. 2023
Indoor air testing at Hill’s residence and two others nearby continued to show high levels of PCE, or perchloroethylene, and related chemicals, according to a May report from Wilcox to the IDEM.
—Amy Lavalley, chicagotribune.com, 25 Sep. 2020
This project began when residents of this Northeast Denver community saw examples of spills of perchloroethylene (PERC), a solvent commonly used in dry cleaning, potentially endangering health in other Denver neighborhoods.
—Guest, Discover Magazine, 24 Aug. 2015
But as those companies began storing and disposing of metals, solvents and other waste in the area, known carcinogens such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene, hexavalent chromium and 1,4-dioxane trickled into the Valley’s aquifer.
—Hayley Smithstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2022
In December, a state ban on the toxic cleaning agent perchloroethylene went into effect.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2021
Jeremy Yurow, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2024
An oil or grease stain can be cleaned using paper and then a blotter with perchloroethylene.
—Samantha S. Thorpe, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2023
What few locals know, let alone tourists, is that the city also houses one of the largest dry cleaning Superfund sites in the U.S.
From 1952 to 2008, Tuchman Cleaners laundered clothes using perchloroethylene, or PERC, a neurotoxin and possible carcinogen.
—Elizabeth Kryder-Reid, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2023
Additional remediation efforts against perchloroethylene, a solvent used in dry cleaning, continued into the 2010s.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 25 Feb. 2023
Indoor air testing at Hill’s residence and two others nearby continued to show high levels of PCE, or perchloroethylene, and related chemicals, according to a May report from Wilcox to the IDEM.
—Amy Lavalley, chicagotribune.com, 25 Sep. 2020
This project began when residents of this Northeast Denver community saw examples of spills of perchloroethylene (PERC), a solvent commonly used in dry cleaning, potentially endangering health in other Denver neighborhoods.
—Guest, Discover Magazine, 24 Aug. 2015
But as those companies began storing and disposing of metals, solvents and other waste in the area, known carcinogens such as trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene, hexavalent chromium and 1,4-dioxane trickled into the Valley’s aquifer.
—Hayley Smithstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2022
In December, a state ban on the toxic cleaning agent perchloroethylene went into effect.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'perchloroethylene.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near perchloroethylene
Cite this Entry
“Perchloroethylene.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perchloroethylene. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
perchloroethylene
noun
per·chlo·ro·eth·y·lene
ˌpər-ˌklōr-ō-ˈeth-ə-ˌlēn
variants
also perchlorethylene
: a toxic nonflammable carcinogenic liquid C2Cl4 often used as a solvent in dry cleaning and for removal of grease from metals
called also perc, tetrachloroethylene
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