For how long are drycleaners going to be allowed to clean clothes with perc? It’s such a simple question, but the answer is anything but clear cut.
As our feature this month on perc says, drycleaners’ use of perc has declined dramatically in recent years – mainly through improved efficiency of their plants and practices. The industry recognises the need to deal with the health and safety issues.
Perc is not an environmental hazard. It does not contribute to global warming, ozone depletion or low-level smog. However, it is moderately toxic. But even this should not be exaggerated out of proportion. The International Fabricare Institure gets the context right. Perc, it says, falls into the same category as household bleach, petrol and nail polish remover. You need to be careful when using it.
The issue that’s aroused so much debate is whether it causes cancer. Nobody, without fear of contradiction, can say it does. Studies have shown perc is carcinogenic to rodents when they are exposed to it under certain laboratory conditions. There is no evidence to show people get cancer through exposure to perc.
But the regulators have got perc’s number, and they’re a tenacious breed. News stories over the past few months in LCN have described how perc may well be regulated out of drycleaners’ use in Southern California. At the recent Clean Canada exhibition in Toronto, delegates at a seminar were sent scuttling back to the show halls in search of new equipment after hearing that regulations might come into force early next year.
Regulators and scientists are notoriously slow at coming to a conclusion. However, if it’s a race to see whether perc gets regulated or a clean bill of health from those studying it, I’d put money on the regulators getting there first.
