A chemical found in dry cleaning solutions and common household items triples the risk of severe liver damage, according to new research from Keck Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC).

Tetrachloroethylene, known as PCE, appears in craft adhesives, stain removers and stainless steel polish. The study appeared in Liver International. People exposed to PCE face three times the risk of developing significant liver fibrosis compared to those without exposure, the study’s findings demonstrated.

Liver fibrosis involves dangerous scar tissue buildup that can advance to liver cancer, organ failure or death, according to Keck Medicine.

“This study, the first to examine the association between PCE levels in humans and significant liver fibrosis, underscores the underreported role environmental factors may play in liver health,” said Dr. Brian P. Lee, a hepatologist with Keck Medicine who led the research. (RELATED: Cancer Diagnoses Skyrocketed In Recent Years And Officials Are Just Figuring Out Why Now)

Dry cleaning could be doing more than freshening your clothes. 🧥⚠️
A new study from Keck Medicine of USC links PCE exposure to 3x higher risk of liver fibrosis. Here’s what you should know. https://t.co/XfruiBIP3V#LiverHealth #EnvironmentalHealth

— Keck Medicine of USC (@KeckMedicineUSC) October 25, 2025

Researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2017 and 2020. They found around 7% of the U.S. population had detectable PCE in their blood.

The study showed higher PCE concentrations correlated with worse liver damage. Each one nanogram per milliliter increase in blood PCE levels raised the odds of significant liver fibrosis five-fold.

People breathe in PCE from dry-cleaned clothes or drink it through contaminated water. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies PCE as a probable carcinogen linked to bladder cancer and lymphoma.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched a 10-year phaseout of PCE in dry cleaning operations, but the chemical remains in use elsewhere.

“Patients will ask, how can I have liver disease if I don’t drink and I don’t have any of the health conditions typically associated with liver disease, and the answer may be PCE exposure,” Lee said.