Metabolism and excretion of trichloroethylene after inhalation by human subjects.

Eight volunteers were exposed to trichloroethylene vapour (1,042 μg./l.) for five hours; 51 to 64% of the inhaled trichloroethylene was retained. The concentration of trichloroethanol and trichloroacetic acid in the urine was studied daily for a three-week period; on the third day both metabolites were determined in faeces, sweat, and saliva. The concentration of trichloroacetic acid in plasma and red blood cells was studied on alternate days. Of the trichloroethylene retained, 38·0 to 49·7% was excreted in the urine as trichloroethanol and 27·4 to 35·7% as trichloroacetic acid. Of both metabolites 8·4% was excreted in the faeces. Sweat collected on the third day of the experiment contained 0·10 to 1·92 mg./100 ml. trichloroethanol and 0·15 to 0·35 mg./100 ml. trichloroacetic acid. In saliva the concentrations were 0·09 to 0·32 mg./100 ml. trichloroethanol and 0·10 to 0·15 mg./100 ml. trichloroacetic acid. The value of the expression trichloroethanol/trichloroacetic acid calculated in the urine within 22 days was within the range 1·15 to 1·81.