What happens to TCE inside of me?

Whether you breathe in contaminated air, drink contaminated water, or soak your skin in TCE liquid, TCE is readily absorbed into your body and gets into your bloodstream.

Once in your blood, TCE travels throughout your body, but will favor tissues with a good blood supply, such as your liver, lungs, and kidneys, as well as tissues that contain more fat, such as your brain and body fat.

Most of the TCE that gets in your body is metabolized, or chemically broken down, primarily in the liver. Other organs and tissues, especially your kidneys, also breakdown some TCE. Unfortunately, many of the breakdown products are toxic and cause health problems.

While some of the TCE that’s absorbed into the body is exhaled from your lungs unchanged, most is excreted as breakdown products in the urine.

Page last reviewed: August 15, 2017