Organic Chemical
tetrachloroethylene
tet·ra·chlo·ro·eth·y·lene [ te-truh-klawr-oh-eth-uh-leen, -klohr- ]
Subclass of:
Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated
Definitions related to tetrachloroethylene:
-
A chlorinated hydrocarbon used as an industrial solvent and cooling liquid in electrical transformers. It is a potential carcinogen.NLM Medical Subject HeadingsU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
-
A colorless, volatile, nonflammable, liquid, chlorinated hydrocarbon with an ether-like odor that may emit toxic fumes of phosgene when exposed to sunlight or flames. Tetrachloroethylene is mainly used as a cleaning solvent in dry cleaning and textile processing and in the manufacture of fluorocarbons. Exposure to this substance irritates the upper respiratory tract and eyes and causes neurological effects as well as kidney and liver damage. Tetrachloroethylene is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen and may be linked to an increased risk of developing skin, colon, lung, esophageal, and urogenital tract cancer as well as lymphosarcoma and leukemia. (NCI05)NCI ThesaurusU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
Return to OpenMD Medical Dictionary
> T
This content should not be used in place of medically-reviewed decision support reference material or professional medical advice. Some terms may have alternate or updated definitions not reflected in this set. The definitions on this page should not be considered complete or up to date.