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
Two toxic chemicals, trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE), have been partially banned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), according to a statement released on Monday.
—
Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
The groundwater in the area is contaminated with harmful chemicals including trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2024
The most notable contaminant, perchloroethylene (PCE), is a cleaning solvent that has been linked to several types of cancer.
—Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2024
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
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Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
The groundwater in the area is contaminated with harmful chemicals including trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2024
The most notable contaminant, perchloroethylene (PCE), is a cleaning solvent that has been linked to several types of cancer.
—Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2024
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
Cite this Entry
“Perchloroethylene.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perchloroethylene. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
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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