[Chlorinated solvents and fetal damage. Spontaneous abortions, low birth weight and malformations among women employed in the dry-cleaning industry].

Workers in the dry-cleaning industry are exposed to vapours from the cleaning fluids, primarily perchlorethylene, which is a chlorinated solvent. Animal experiments, short-term tests for mutagenic effects and epidemiological investigations have raised the suspicion that perchlorethylene may cause reproductive failure. This investigation is an attempt to assess the risk for reproductive failure in 886 women exposed to dry-cleaning solvents while employed in dry-cleaning establishments. Twelve spontaneous abortions occurred, one infant was born with malformations and ten infants had low birth weights. A non-significant risk for spontaneous abortion was found among women with the greatest exposure. This estimate is, however, uncertain and the result must be interpreted with care.