White House Wants To End All Use Of TCE, Chemical Linked To Cancer, Parkinson’s
The Biden administration aims to revive efforts from the Obama White House to ban trichloroethylene. It is a solvent used in cleaning chemicals and adhesives. Exposure to it, even in small amounts, has been linked in studies to cancer and Parkinson's disease.
The New York Times:
Biden Administration Moves To Ban TCE, A Solvent Linked To Cancer
The Biden administration has proposed to ban all uses of trichloroethylene, an industrial solvent used in glues, other adhesives, spot removers and metal cleaners, saying exposure to even small amounts can cause cancer, damage to the central nervous system and other health effects. The proposed ban is the latest twist in a yearslong debate over whether to regulate trichloroethylene, commonly referred to as TCE. In its final weeks, the Obama administration tried to ban some uses of the chemical, only to have the Trump administration place it on an Environmental Protection Agency list for long-term consideration, a move that essentially suspended any action. Monday’s proposal goes further than the Obama-era plan by prohibiting all uses of TCE. (Friedman, 10/23)
The Boston Globe:
In Woburn, Senator Markey Announces Proposed Full Ban On TCE
Senator Ed Markey joined Environmental Protection Agency senior leaders in Woburn on Monday to announce a proposed ban on a chemical behind a cluster of deadly childhood cancer cases in the city, events chronicled in the book and movie “A Civil Action.” Trichloroethylene, also known as TCE, has been tied to birth defects, reproductive problems, and to 21 cases of childhood leukemia diagnosed in Woburn between 1969 and 1986. TCE is still used in commercial and consumer products, including cleaning products, aerosols, and refrigerants. It is banned in Europe, New York, and Minnesota. (Smilgius, 10/23)
In case you missed it: TCE may be 'invisible cause' of Parkinson's disease —
Science:
Widely Used Chemical Strongly Linked To Parkinson’s Disease
A groundbreaking epidemiological study has produced the most compelling evidence yet that exposure to the chemical solvent trichloroethylene (TCE)—common in soil and groundwater—increases the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. ... The report, published in JAMA Neurology, involved examining the medical records of tens of thousands of Marine Corps and Navy veterans who trained at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina from 1975 to 1985. Those exposed there to water heavily contaminated with TCE had a 70% higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease decades later compared with similar veterans who trained elsewhere. (Wadman, 5/15)
University of Rochester Medical Center:
Common Dry Cleaning Chemical Linked To Parkinson’s Disease
A common and widely used chemical may be fueling the rise of the world’s fastest growing brain condition–Parkinson’s disease. For the past 100 years, trichloroethylene (TCE) has been used to decaffeinate coffee, degrease metal, and dry clean clothes. ... In a hypothesis paper in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease, an international team of researchers—including University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) neurologists Ray Dorsey, MD, Ruth Schneider, MD, and Karl Kieburtz, MD—postulates that TCE may be an invisible cause of Parkinson’s. (5/14)
In other news from the Biden administration —
CNBC:
FTC Plans To Hire Child Psychologist To Guide Internet Rules
The Federal Trade Commission plans to hire at least one child psychologist who can guide its work on internet regulation, Democratic Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya told The Record in an interview published Monday. FTC Chair Lina Khan backs the plan, Bedoya told the outlet, adding that he hopes it can become a reality by next fall, though the commission does not yet have a firm timeline. (Feiner, 10/23)
