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    Question ID:   5495         Current Version: 1
Question: How does perc (perchloroethylene) pollute the environment?
Category: Home & Garden > Cleaning & Laundry
Keywords: pollute, environment, dry cleaning, solvent, perc, perchloroethylene
Type: how
Rating:(0 ratings)    Views: 432    Discussions: 0   In Watch Lists: 1  

 
    Answer:
Perc can get into the air, water and ground during the cleaning, purification, and waste disposal phases of dry cleaning. Through recent improvements in equipment and more careful operating practices, perc consumption and losses to the environment are being reduced.
  • Outdoor Air

Most of the perc used by the dry cleaning industry escapes into the outdoor air through open windows, vents, and air-conditioning systems. In older dry cleaning systems, perc may still be vented directly to the outdoors as part of the dry cleaning process. Fortunately, many dry cleaners now use new machines that control or eliminate the amount of perc that escapes during the cleaning process.

Once outdoors, perc can remain in the atmosphere for several weeks, and although small amounts are always in the air, perc itself does not deplete the ozone layer of the atmosphere. After a few weeks, perc breaks down into other chemicals. Some of which are toxic, and some of which are suspected to deplete the ozone layer.

  • Ground

Perc is known to be toxic to plants. It can enter the ground in liquid form through spills, leaky pipes, leaky tanks, machine leaks, and from improperly handled waste. Significant amounts of perc have been found in the waste resulting from dry cleaning, which is considered a hazardous waste by the EPA. Most of the solid waste materials, which are filters used during the dry cleaning process as well as residual solvent and soils, are picked up by hazardous waste management companies for recycling and/or incineration.

  • Water

At the end of the cleaning process, the cleaning fluid is separated from waste water by distillation. In the past, the waste water was often poured down floor drains. In newer equipment, the waste water is collected and evaporated, or removed by hazardous waste handlers and disposed of through EPA-approved methods.

Perc can seep through the ground and contaminate surface water, groundwater, and potentially drinking water. A small amount of perc can contaminate a large amount of water and people can be exposed by drinking or using the water. EPA has a limit on the amount of perc that is allowed to be in drinking water. Well water can be tested to be sure it is below the EPA standard.

Small amounts of perc in the water have been shown to be toxic to aquatic animals who can store the chemical in their fatty tissues.

Source: US EPA
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    More Readings :
[QID:5496]    Are there any new cleaning methods that may prove to be environmentally preferable?  
[QID:5489]    What is perc (perchloroethylene)?  
[QID:5491]    Can perc cause cancer?  
[QID:4470]    What exactly is dry cleaning?  
[QID:5492]    Am I exposed to perc (perchloroethylene) and do I need to worry about it?  
[QID:5490]    What are the human health concerns associated with perc (perchloroethylene)?  
[QID:5493]    Do I need to worry about wearing dry cleaned clothes?  
[QID:5494]    Do people that work in dry cleaning shops need to worry about perc (perchloroethylene) exposures?  
[QID:5501]    What is the government doing to reduce environmental and health risks of perc (perchloroethylene)?  
[QID:5498]    Are there any other new methods for cleaning clothes?  
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