Trichloroethylene (TCE) Lawsuit

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a volatile, colorless liquid with a somewhat sweet odor, formerly used widely as an industrial solvent and degreaser.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists TCE among the most hazardous chemicals regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) due to its confirmed links to kidney cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and liver damage, as well as harmful effects on the central nervous system, immune system, liver, kidneys, and reproductive system.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) have documented TCE’s role in both occupational and environmental exposures, listing serious health issues ranging from acute nerve damage to chronic autoimmune-related effects

The National Toxicology Program (NTP) has also classified TCE as a known or probable human carcinogen based on robust animal and epidemiologic evidence.

Although its usage has declined, TCE remains present in many environments, including industrial facilities, legacy manufacturing sites, and contaminated water systems.

Here’s where TCE has historically been used and may still be found today:

• Industrial degreaser for metal parts and machinery
• Vapor degreasing operations in automotive, aerospace, and electronics manufacturing
• Paint removers, adhesives, sealants, and cleaning products
• Spot removers, typewriter correction fluids, and aerosol stainers
• Lubricants, varnishes, and furniture or automotive care products
• Intermediate in the production of refrigerants and other chlorinated solvents
• Contamination in groundwater and soil at industrial and Superfund sites

Despite the decline in commercial use, tens of thousands of sites remain contaminated with TCE, and it continues to affect people through environmental pathways such as vapor intrusion and drinking water contamination.

If you or someone you know worked in industrial settings (especially involving cleaning, maintenance, or solvent use) or lived near contaminated soil or groundwater, exposure to TCE may have contributed to serious health issues.

How are People Exposed to TCE?

Trichloroethylene (TCE) exposure can occur through multiple environmental and occupational routes, primarily involving contaminated water, air, and products.

Because TCE is highly volatile, it readily evaporates into the air from soil and groundwater, where it can infiltrate buildings through a process called vapor intrusion.

This leads to indoor air contamination in homes, schools, and workplaces near polluted industrial sites or Superfund locations.

According to the EPA, TCE is one of the most dangerous drinking water contaminants, making public drinking water contamination a major source of long-term community exposure.

Individuals may also come into contact with TCE-contaminated water during bathing, cooking, or other household uses.

Workers in certain industries (such as dry cleaning and metal degreasing) may face direct exposure to TCE vapors or residues from older equipment or poorly ventilated areas.

Even the use of consumer products like spot removers, typewriter correction fluids, and aerosol cleaners has historically contributed to low-level but consistent TCE exposure in non-occupational settings.

TCE exposure occurs through the following pathways:

• Inhalation of contaminated indoor air through vapor intrusion
• Drinking or bathing in TCE-contaminated public water supplies
• Contact with industrial wastewater or runoff in affected communities
• Occupational exposure in dry cleaning, metal fabrication, and maintenance shops
• Use of legacy consumer products containing TCE
• Accidental contact with leaching soil or sediment from former disposal sites
• Use of private wells contaminated by nearby industrial TCE discharges

These exposure routes are especially concerning due to the compound’s persistence in the environment and its ability to infiltrate homes and buildings unnoticed.

Who is at Risk of Exposure to Trichloroethylene (TCE)?

TCE exposure affects a wide range of people, from workers in industrial settings to individuals living near contaminated sites.

Those most at risk include people who handle or work around degreasers, solvents, or cleaning chemicals, especially in poorly ventilated environments.

Exposure can occur through workplace contact, contaminated air or drinking water, or through historical usage of consumer products.

Families living near Superfund sites, military bases, or former manufacturing plants may also unknowingly face chronic exposure through vapor intrusion or public water contamination.

The risk isn’t limited to industrial workers: service members, hospital staff, and maintenance crews have also been documented among affected populations.

Those most at risk of TCE exposure include:

• Industrial degreasing workers in automotive, electronics, and aerospace industries
• Metal fabricators and machinists who work with parts cleaned using TCE
• Military personnel stationed at bases with known TCE groundwater contamination (e.g., Camp Lejeune)
• Dry cleaning employees at facilities using chlorinated solvents
• Plating and polishing shop workers
• Chemical plant workers involved in TCE production or formulation
• Aerospace and aviation workers involved in component cleaning
• Railroad workers exposed through degreasing equipment and fuel systems
• Construction crews on or near formerly contaminated sites
• Hospital sterilization staff (historical use of TCE in medical equipment cleaning)
• Maintenance and janitorial workers using solvent-based cleaning products
• Residents living near industrial spill sites or Superfund locations
• Homeowners with vapor intrusion from contaminated groundwater
• Children and families relying on public water systems contaminated with TCE
• Painters and finishers using solvent-based materials in confined areas
• Service members and veterans at bases with long-term environmental contamination
• People using private wells near past industrial activity

These individuals may face prolonged or repeated exposure to TCE through inhalation, ingestion, or dermal contact, leading to serious health consequences.

Is Trichloroethylene (TCE) Banned in the United States?

The EPA has taken decisive action to prohibit the vast majority of trichloroethylene (TCE) uses under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

In December 2024, the EPA issued a final rule banning the manufacture, import, processing, and distribution of TCE across all uses, reflecting its determination that TCE poses an “unreasonable risk to human health”

Most commercial and consumer applications (including TCE in cleaning products, degreasers, spot removers, and industrial solvents) will be phased out within one year, though limited temporary extensions apply for critical industrial processes

The new rule aligns with EPA’s prior risk evaluations stating that 52 out of 54 uses of TCE pose health hazards, including risks of liver and kidney damage, immunotoxicity, carcinogenicity, neurological harm, and reproductive effects.

However, for now, the rule’s implementation has been delayed due to legal and procedural developments.

A temporary stay (requested by the Fifth Circuit and maintained by the Third Circuit) combined with ongoing regulatory review, has postponed the rule’s effective date.

Trichloroethylene (TCE) exposure carries a broad spectrum of health risks, which have been extensively studied through rigorous human studies, animal research, and mechanistic investigations.

The EPA’s Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) and the National Toxicology Program (NTP) have documented strong evidence linking TCE to serious health threats (including cancer, immune system dysfunction, and neurological damage) without safe exposure thresholds.

A meta-analysis published in the journal Environ Health Perspect confirms TCE’s widespread systemic impact, citing both acute centralized nervous system effects and chronic multi-organ toxicity.

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and CDC both emphasize TCE’s unique ability to disrupt the immune system and contribute to autoimmune-related effects, reinforcing its categorization as one of the more perilous chemical exposures in industrial environments.

Notably, the risk is not limited to high-dose scenarios.

Epidemiologic evidence shows elevated disease risk among communities and workers with moderate, long-term exposures.

TCE’s presence in the environment, even in forms like vinyl chloride or perchloroethylene residues, adds complexity to assessing cumulative health burdens.

As scientific reviews illustrate, TCE’s ubiquity and multifaceted hazards underscore the critical need for preventive regulation and legal action when exposure is unaddressed or unknown.

Types of Cancer Linked to Trichloroethylene Exposure

Epidemiological research provides strong and credible evidence linking occupational or environmental exposure to trichloroethylene (TCE) with increased risks for several cancer types.

Meta-analyses of numerous cohort and case-control studies consistently show elevated relative risks for kidney cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), and liver cancer, especially among workers with documented exposure.

The EPA’s IRIS assessment corroborates these findings and supports a dose–response model for TCE-linked renal cell carcinoma, with additional modeling suggesting elevated risks for NHL and liver cancer as well.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) likewise notes that TCE “may cause kidney cancer and increase the risk of lymphoma and liver cancer”.

Comprehensive reviews by the ATSDR, the CDC, and the NTP reinforce TCE’s status as a known human carcinogen, highlighting clear links to these cancers while acknowledging mechanistic insights from animal studies.

Additional studies observed include modest but notable increased risks for prostate cancer, multiple myeloma, Hodgkin’s disease, and cervical cancer, as identified in cohort data, though evidence for these is less robust and more variable across studies.

As we’ve established, scientific evidence from epidemiological, animal, and mechanistic studies robustly supports an association between TCE exposure and several types of cancer.

Here’s a breakdown of the findings:

• Kidney Cancer (Renal Cell Carcinoma): Kidney cancer has one of the strongest links to TCE exposure. Studies show that people who were exposed to high levels of TCE (especially in jobs involving degreasing or industrial cleaning) are more likely to develop kidney cancer than those who weren’t. Scientists have even found changes in the kidneys of exposed individuals that help explain why this happens.
• Non‑Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL): TCE exposure has been tied to an increased risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer that affects the immune system. The risk is even higher in people with long-term or high-level exposure, based on combined results from several large studies.
• Liver Cancer: People exposed to TCE over long periods may face a greater risk of liver cancer. Scientific reviews have confirmed a clear connection, with studies showing that workers exposed to TCE are more likely to be diagnosed with this type of cancer.
• Prostate Cancer: Some workplace studies suggest a possible link between TCE exposure and prostate cancer. While the evidence isn’t as strong as it is for kidney cancer, workers exposed over long periods still appear to face elevated risks.
• Cervical Cancer: In some jobs where TCE is used or released into the air, women have shown higher rates of cervical cancer. More research is needed, but early studies have raised concerns about the connection.
• Hodgkin’s Disease & Leukemia: There’s limited but growing evidence that TCE may contribute to blood-related cancers like Hodgkin’s disease and certain types of leukemia. The data is still developing, but past workplace and environmental studies have identified potential links worth further investigation.

Non-Cancer Health Effects of TCE Exposure

Trichloroethylene (TCE) presents risks that go far beyond its well-known cancer links.

Scientific studies have uncovered troubling evidence of its harmful effects on the central nervous system, reproductive systems, and pregnancy outcomes, among others.

Researchers continue to connect prolonged or historical exposure to TCE with conditions like Parkinson’s disease, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and autoimmune disorders.

High-level and long-term exposure (common in certain industrial settings) has been tied to organ dysfunction, immune suppression, and developmental damage in infants.

Studies like those at Camp Lejeune have exposed real-world evidence of increased neurological disease among veterans exposed to contaminated water.

Emerging research also suggests TCE may heighten risk for systemic sclerosis and autoimmune hepatitis, though these are less well-known and require further study.

Non-cancer health effects of TCE exposure include:

• Parkinson’s disease: Veterans stationed at Camp Lejeune, where drinking water was contaminated with TCE, showed a 70% higher risk of developing Parkinson’s compared to those at unexposed bases.
• Adverse pregnancy outcomes: Laboratory studies show that TCE can damage the placenta at a molecular level, causing issues like low birth weight, miscarriage, and birth defects in animal models.
• Reproductive system toxicity: TCE exposure has been associated with reduced fertility and disruptions in reproductive hormone systems, based on both human studies and animal models.
• Autoimmune conditions (e.g., systemic sclerosis, autoimmune hepatitis): Cases and environmental health assessments point to TCE as a trigger for autoimmune diseases, including systemic sclerosis (a hardening of the skin and organs) and liver immune dysfunction.
• Respiratory system impacts: Short-term inhalation of TCE can cause irritation of the nose, throat, and airways, while long-term exposure may contribute to chronic respiratory dysfunction.
• Developmental and neurological effects in children: TCE exposure during pregnancy or early life has been suggested as a risk factor for neurodevelopmental issues, including potential links to neurobehavioral disorders and adverse birth outcomes in offspring.
• Nervous System Effects: TCE has well-established impacts on the nervous system. Occupational studies demonstrate that even moderate exposures can impair nerve function—workers experienced slower reaction times, blurred vision, and hearing difficulties, and tests revealed altered connections in facial (trigeminal) nerves
• Liver Toxicity: TCE has been shown in animal studies and human workplace data to cause liver damage, including inflammation, fatty deposits, and abnormal enzyme levels. These effects suggest the liver is a primary target organ for TCE’s toxic effects.
• Kidney Damage: Chronic TCE exposure can harm kidney function by damaging tubular structures and altering filtration capacity. Both animal and human studies link these effects to an increased risk of renal impairment and kidney cancer.

Trichloroethylene (TCE) contamination most often arises in environments where industrial degreasing, parts washing, or improper disposal were routine, especially between the 1940s and early 2000s.

Rail yards were among the most common sources of long-term TCE contamination, where workers regularly used the solvent to clean locomotive engines, metal components, and mechanical parts.

Improper storage, spills, and disposal led to widespread groundwater and soil contamination at and around many rail facilities.

Other heavily affected areas include military installations, manufacturing plants, electronics factories, and dry cleaning operations, where TCE was used in high volumes and later seeped into local air and water supplies.

Communities near these sites were often unaware of the risk until decades later, when vapor intrusion or contaminated wells prompted investigations and Superfund designation.

Today, these exposure sites provide key evidence of the long-term health dangers of TCE.

Known locations of TCE exposure and contamination include:

• Conrail Rail Yards (Multiple Locations): Rail workers were frequently exposed to TCE at Conrail maintenance yards, where the chemical was used as a degreaser for engine parts and machinery. Soil and groundwater contamination was later confirmed at several yards.
• Lehigh Valley Railroad Derailment (LeRoy, NY): In 1970, a train derailment spilled an estimated 30,000 gallons of TCE, leading to long-term groundwater contamination and vapor intrusion. The EPA later designated it a Superfund site.
• Union Pacific Rail Yard (Wichita, KS): Industrial dumping practices contaminated residential areas near the yard. Residents were not notified for years, despite confirmed TCE levels in the soil and groundwater.
• Indian Bend Wash (Scottsdale/Tempe, AZ): This Superfund site spans over 13 square miles due to decades of solvent dumping by electronics and aerospace manufacturers. TCE continues to contaminate groundwater and indoor air in surrounding communities.
• Middlefield-Ellis-Whisman (MEW) Site (Mountain View, CA): TCE vapors from contaminated groundwater infiltrated office buildings and homes. The site is undergoing long-term remediation and has forced reevaluation of vapor intrusion risks.
• View-Master Factory (Beaverton, OR): An onsite well supplying drinking water to factory employees was found to contain TCE levels more than 300 times the federal limit. Tens of thousands of workers may have been affected.
• Horseshoe Road Complex (Sayreville, NJ): An abandoned chemical facility left behind significant TCE and volatile organic compound (VOC) contamination. The site affected nearby waterways and residential areas.
• Camp Lejeune (Jacksonville, NC): Between the 1950s and 1980s, TCE contaminated drinking water supplies used by Marines and their families. The site is now central to one of the most expansive toxic water litigation efforts in U.S. history.
• Kelly Air Force Base (San Antonio, TX): TCE and other degreasers leaked into soil and groundwater, creating a toxic plume that impacted nearby communities. The Department of Defense and EPA have worked on cleanup since the 1990s.
• Aerojet Facility (Rancho Cordova, CA): Rocket fuel and TCE disposal practices at this aerospace plant polluted drinking water wells across Sacramento County.

Each of these documented cases highlights the severe consequences of improper TCE handling and disposal, especially in rail yards and industrial sites where workers were frequently exposed.

As we’ve established, those exposed to TCE suffer from a higher risk of serious health problems and cancer.

Accountability and justice should be sought when toxic exposure occurs and results in serious illnesses.

Victims not only deserve adequate treatment, but compensation for what they’ve endured.

If you lived, worked, or went to school near a site contaminated with trichloroethylene (TCE), you may qualify to take legal action.

Eligibility often depends on how long you were exposed, how close you were to the contamination source, and whether you were later diagnosed with a related illness.

Cancers linked to TCE exposure include kidney cancer, liver cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and several blood disorders.

Even low levels of exposure over time may be enough to establish a claim, especially if vapor intrusion or contaminated groundwater was involved.

You do not need to prove exactly when or how you were exposed.

Experienced toxic tort lawyers can help gather medical records, environmental reports, and corporate disposal histories.

TCE lawsuits may be filed individually or as part of larger actions against companies that knowingly polluted residential or industrial areas.

Family members of deceased loved ones may also qualify to file wrongful death claims related to TCE exposure.

If you’re unsure whether your cancer, autoimmune condition, or neurological disorder may be linked to TCE, a free legal review can help clarify your options.

Gathering Evidence for a TCE Exposure Lawsuit

Building a successful TCE exposure lawsuit requires strong, well-organized evidence that links your illness to toxic contamination.Our legal team works closely with experts to identify exposure pathways, secure environmental data, and connect medical conditions to known health risks of TCE.

We handle the process of gathering, retaining, and presenting all relevant evidence so you can focus on your health and recovery.

From historical site records to expert testimony, we prepare every case for trial from day one.

Evidence in a TCE lawsuit may include:

• Medical records showing diagnosis of a TCE-related illness (e.g., kidney cancer, lymphoma)
• Residential history near a known TCE-contaminated site
• Employment records showing regular work at or near the exposure source
• Environmental reports, soil and groundwater testing data
• Government investigations, EPA or state agency findings
• Witness statements from neighbors, co-workers, or family members
• Corporate records showing improper TCE disposal or regulatory violations
• Expert opinions linking the exposure to the diagnosed condition
• Proof of property damage or vapor intrusion (for property-based claims)
• Death certificates and autopsy reports (for wrongful death claims)

Common Damages in Toxic Exposure Cases

Victims of TCE exposure may be entitled to compensation for the physical, emotional, and financial harm they’ve suffered.

Toxic exposure can lead to long-term illness, lost income, and overwhelming medical costs that affect entire families.

Our attorneys pursue full damages based on your diagnosis, treatment needs, personal hardships, and the impact exposure has had on your life.

In wrongful death cases, families may also recover for funeral costs, loss of companionship, and other lasting consequences.

Damages sought in TCE exposure cases may include:

• Past and future medical expenses related to cancer or chronic illness
• Lost wages and reduced earning capacity due to illness or disability
• Pain and suffering caused by physical symptoms or prolonged treatment
• Emotional distress, trauma, anxiety, and loss of quality of life
• Out-of-pocket costs for medications, caregiving, or assistive devices
• Property damage or loss in value due to environmental contamination
• Loss of consortium or companionship in wrongful death claims
• Funeral and burial expenses
• Punitive damages in cases involving reckless corporate misconduct

Our team of chemical exposure attorneys have decades of experience seeking justice and compensation for victims of corporate negligence.

We work with leading toxicologists, medical experts, and environmental investigators to build strong, evidence-driven cases.

Our firm takes on select cases involving serious harm, complex contamination, and companies that prioritized profit over public safety.

We understand how TCE exposure affects individuals and families—and we fight to hold polluters accountable in court.

From the initial investigation through trial, every case is prepared with precision, care, and a commitment to results.

If you or a loved one have been exposed to Trichloroethylene (TCE) and developed cancer or other serious health conditions, you may be eligible to file a TCE Lawsuit and seek financial compensation.

Contact Gianaris Trial Lawyers for a free consultation.

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