Places to Visit

The Pure Water Occasional Home Page

The Pure Water Gazette

Pure Water Products

Fair Use Statement

Water Treatment Issues:

Acid Water

Algae, cyanotoxins

Alkalinity

Alum (Aluminum Sulfate)

Aluminum

Ammonia

Arsenic

Asbestos

Bacteria

Barium

Benzene

Bicarbonate Alkalinity

Boron (Borate, Boric Acid)

Brackish Water

Bromine

Bromate

Cadmium

Calcium

Carbon Dioxide

Carbon Tetrachloride

Chloramines

Chloride

Chlorine

Chromium

Color

Copper

Corrosion

Cryptosporidium

Cyanide

Dichloroethylene

Endocrine Disruptors

Fluoride

Giardia Lambia

Hardness

Heterotrophic Bacteria (HPC)

Hydrogen Sulfide

Iodine

Iron

Iron Bacteria

Lead

Magnesium

Manganese

Mercury

Methane

MTBE

Napthalene

Nickel

Nitrates and Nitrites

NMDA (N-Nitrosodimethylanime)

Norovirus

Odor

Organics

Perchloroethylene (PCE)

Perchlorate

Pesticides

pH

Pharmaceuticals

Radon

Radium

Selenium

Silica

Silver

Strontium

Sulfate

TDS (Total Dissolved Solids)

Trichlorethylene (TCE)

Tritium

Uranium

Vanadium

Vinyl Chloride

VOC


Trichloroethylene (TCE)

Trichloroethylene (TCE): From Water Technology Magazine,Volume 31, Issue 1 - January 2008



Chemical formula: C2HCl3
Molecular weight: 131.40
Molecular structure:

Trichloroethene -- Trichloroethene is a manufactured, volatile organic chemical. It has been used as a solvent to remove grease from metal. Trichloroethene has also been used as a paint stripper, adhesive solvent and as an ingredient in paints and varnishes. The chemical can affect the nervous system.

Physical characteristics:
  • Clear, colorless, nonflammable volatile organic compound (VOC), one of the chlorinated solvents
  • Liquid at room temperature
  • Sweet, chloroform-like odor
  • Density at 20°C (68°F) = 1.465 grams per liter (heavier than water)


Where found: TCE is not believed to occur naturally in the environment, but may be found in groundwater and surface water following its manufacture, use and disposal. Most common in industrial and urban areas.

It was the fourth most frequently detected VOC in US groundwaters (2006).

Common uses: Solvent for cleaning and degreasing metals; ingredient in adhesives, paint removers, typewriter correction fluids and spot removers; chemical-process intermediate for making other products. Known by a number of synonyms (such as trichloroethene and acetylene trichloride) and many trade names.






Potential health effects: Can cause liver and kidney damage, and other ailments. “Probably carcinogenic to humans” (International Agency for Research on Cancer). In small amounts, TCE can cause headaches, lung irritation, poor coordination, and difficulty concentrating.


Regulation:

  • US EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) in drinking water: 5 parts per billion (ppb) (0.005 milligrams per liter[mg/L]).
  • US EPA MCL Goal: zero.
  • Selected state MCLs: California, 5 ppb; Arizona, 3.2 ppb; New Jersey, 1 ppb.
  • Listed as hazardous substance and toxic pollutant under federal pollution control laws.

Common water treatment methods:

Sources: US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), US Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry, US Geological Survey, Water Quality Association, industry sources.