Solvent linked to birth defect risk

[The Straight Story]

Solvent linked to birth defect risk



BOSTON, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers have linked exposure to tetrachloroethylene to birth defects.

The chemical, used commonly as a solvent, is also known as perchlorethylene or PCE, and is sometimes found as a contaminant in drinking water.

The study, published in Environmental Health
, found an increased risk of oral clefts and neural tube defects in children whose mothers -- while pregnant -- lived in eight towns in the Cape Cod area of Massachusetts where water pipes lined with a vinyl coating containing PCE had been used from 1969 to 1983.

http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2009/09/25/Solvent-linked-to-birth-defect-risk/UPI-39221253914125/