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Hazards of Chlorinated Brake Cleaner

Chlorinated brake cleaner solvents have been used in automotive repair shops across the United States. Exposure to intense heat, caused by hot engine parts or a welding torch, can break down chlorinated solvents--such as brake cleaner--into a number of toxic compounds, according to Broward County Florida Pollution Prevention. The most toxic compounds found in chlorinated solvents include carbon tetrachloride, trichloroethane and chlorobenzene. The National Institutes of Health states that these toxic compounds, alone or in combination, may cause liver, kidney and brain damage.

  1. Carbon Tetrachloride

    • Acute exposure to carbon tetrachloride through inhalation or oral ingestion can cause liver damage, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The liver of an exposed person may swell and become tender to the touch. Enzyme levels can change and you may suffer from jaundice, which is yellowing of the skin and eyes that results from the accumulation of toxins in the skin when the liver doesn't function properly. Carbon tetrachloride may also damage the kidneys and result in nephritis, nephrosis and proteinuria. Workers exposed to carbon tetrachloride have experienced nausea, vomiting, headaches, lethargy and general weakness.

    Trichloroethane

    • People exposed to trichloroethane reported burning and whitening of exposed skin, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. No human studies are reported, but according to the EPA, animals exposed to trichloroethane suffered injury to the liver, kidneys and central nervous system following inhalation and ingestion of the compound. The California Environmental Protection Agency limits human exposure to trichloroethane to 0.004 milligrams per kilogram body weight per day, based on the compound's damaging effects on the livers of rats. The EPA is confident that lifetime exposures above the recommended daily exposure limits may cause adverse unknown health effects.

    Chlorobenzene

    • Workers exposed to chlorobenzene may suffer from body numbness, headaches, nausea and vomiting. Workers have reported nervous system effects such as weakness in body functions. The EPA reports that exposure to high levels of chlorobenzene can cause severe liver, kidney and brain damage. Acute exposure to the chemical can cause unconsciousness and tremors. The effects of chlorobenzene on children can be particularly harsh. Children who ingest chlorobenzene may become unconscious, turn blue and experience muscle spasms. The Centers for Disease Control and EPA both state that long-term exposure to chlorobenzene can cause injury to the central nervous system, which can result in numbness, hypersensitivity to stimulus (hyperesthesia), muscle spasms, headaches and irritation to the upper respiratory tract.

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