Determination and release rate of tetrachloroethylene residues in dry-cleaned fur garments

Fur garments contain residual tetrachloroethylene (PCE) from dry cleaning. Exposure to PCE can be harmful to human skin; thus, it is necessary to determine the amount of residual PCE in garments to ensure safety. This paper reports a fast, simple, and effective method for determining residual PCE using ultrasonic extraction technology combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The linear correlation coefficient of this method was 0.9999, with a low detection limit of 1.4 mg/kg. Recoveries from sheepskin leather, rabbit fur, fox fur, and raccoon fur ranged from 90.2 to 101.9 %, with relative standard deviations of 2.87-4.87 %. These results confirmed the high precision and accuracy of this new method. Meanwhile, in a simulated standard indoor environment, the 1 day and 18 day release rates for PCE residues on dry-cleaned fur garments were studied by analyzing PCE adsorption on four different materials, resulting in recommendations for storing and wearing different fur garments after dry-cleaning to ensure safety.