Tetrachloroethene air pollution originating from coin-operated dry cleaning establishments.

In 15 coin-operated dry cleaning establishments (CODC), in one building where a CODC had been run and in a private car transporting a dry-cleaned down jacket tetrachloroethene (TCE) indoor concentrations were investigated by air sampling with activated carbon tubes, elution of the carbon with toluene, and subsequent gas chromatographic analysis of the eluate. TCE concentrations in the car transporting the garment were up to 24.8 mg/m3. Within CODC air concentrations between 3.1 and 331 mg/m3 were measured. In the building where a CODC had once been run the TCE concentrations were slowly decreasing after removal of dry cleaning machines. In the basement below the CODC the TCE air concentration was 155 mg/m3 immediately after removal of the machines and 4.5 mg/m3 7.5 months later. TCE migrated from the basement via the staircase to the flats of the second floor where TCE air concentrations were about 1% of the concentrations in the basement. TCE-contaminated building material is shown to be a reservoir causing increased TCE air concentrations for a long time, which is serious considering the carcinogenic and reproductive risks from TCE exposure.