Trichloroethylene (TCE)

What is trichloroethylene?

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a clear colourless liquid. It is mainly used for degreasing metal parts in the automotive and metal industries. It is sometimes in household products, such as glues, adhesives, paint removers, spot removers, rug cleaning fluids, paints, metal cleaners and typewriter correction fluid.

The largest source of TCE in the environment is through air emissions. This comes from factories that use it to remove grease from metals. TCE can also enter air and groundwater from improper disposed or if it leaks into the ground. It will evaporate but can stay in the soil and in groundwater for a long period of time.

Health risks from TCE exposure

A person’s health risk depends on:

The amount of TCE exposure (the dose)
How long the exposed lasted (the duration)
How the person was exposed (breathing, drinking, eating or skin contact)
Other health factors (age, health, lifestyle, family traits, and other chemicals the person is exposed to)

Acute effects occur after short-term exposure (e.g. minutes, a few days) to very high amounts of TCE. Symptoms include drowsiness, decreased memory and perception, visual effects and anesthesia. The amount of indoor air TCE in the Bishop Street Community is too low to cause acute effects.

Chronic effects happen after long-term exposure (e.g. years). The main concern with TCE exposure is the risk of cancer. Types of cancers may include kidney, liver and lymphoid tissue cancers.

Bishop Street Community, Cambridge, Ontario

Some homes in the Bishop Street Community in Cambridge, Ontario have TCE in the indoor air. This is from TCE in the groundwater underneath the homes. TCE evaporates from the groundwater. It enters soil vapour (air spaces between soil particles). It then moves through building foundations into the building's indoor air.

Level of risk

The levels of TCE in the Bishop Street Community are not expected to cause acute health effects. Health risks connected with long-term TCE exposure is possible. However, the risk is very low given the low amount of indoor TCE in the Bishop Street Community.

Bishop Street Community Information

The Bishop Street Community Information Centre can provide support and information for residents and homeowners in the Bishop Street Community.

Contact the Community Information Centre if you are selling your home or planning a basement renovation. For example, installing a sump pump, changing basement plumbing, adding a basement bathroom, or deepening a basement. The Community Information Centre can help with questions from real estate agents and contractors.

Contact the Community Information Centre to request specific TCE values in a home in the Bishop Street Community.

Community Information Centre contact information

Telephone: 519-653-0680
Email: info@aet98.com

Bishop Street Community Newsletter

Public meetings

May 2017

The purpose of the meeting was to provide an update to residents on the progress of the TCE groundwater remediation and indoor air mitigation activities.

Public Health provided an update on indoor air treatment.

November 2010

After the meeting in June 2010, Public Health Ontario, was invited to review all available information on the TCE contamination and to hear residents' concerns directly.

Dr. Ray Copes, Director for Environmental and Occupational Health at Public Health Ontario, presented his findings at the November 2010 meeting.

A third party reviewer, Dr. John Eyles, a professor from the School of Geography and Health Sciences at McMaster University, provided additional commentary at that meeting. Region of Waterloo's Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Liana Nolan, and Associate Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang were also in attendance to hear residents' concerns.

Public Health Ontario's report and presentation: