What Is Perchloroethylene (PCE)? The Other Chemical in Wichita’s Groundwater

If TCE is the name everyone knows in the 29th and Grove story, what is the other chemical people keep mentioning? It is perchloroethylene, or PCE, a solvent best known from dry cleaning.

Alongside the TCE tied to the old rail yard, PCE from several former dry cleaners also reached the groundwater in Sedgwick County and near 29th and Grove. Understanding it completes the picture and explains why testing covers exposure to either chemical.

If you are new to the topic, our plain-language guide to what trichloroethylene is pairs well with this one.

What Is PCE?

PCE is short for perchloroethylene, which you may also see written as tetrachloroethene. Like TCE, it is a man-made chlorinated solvent that cuts through grease and dirt with ease. Its most familiar use is dry cleaning, where it became the industry standard for cleaning fabrics without water. It has also been used as a metal degreaser and in some consumer products. Because it worked so well and was adopted so widely, it became one of the most common commercial solvents of the 20th century.

How Did PCE End Up in the Groundwater?

The PCE comes from a different source than the TCE. While the TCE is connected to the former rail yard, the PCE is associated with several former dry cleaning operations located within or near the 29th and Grove study area. Over the years, small amounts of solvent from those businesses, through spills, disposal, or ordinary leaks, made their way into the soil and down into the groundwater. In other words, the contamination is not a single spill from a single place; it involves more than one chemical from more than one source, spread across an area where many people lived and worked.

How Dry Cleaning Created a Groundwater Problem

It can be surprising that neighborhood dry cleaners could affect groundwater, but PCE contamination from dry cleaning sites is a well-documented issue across the country, not something unique to Wichita. Decades ago, handling and disposal practices were far less strict than they are today, and even routine use could allow solvent to reach the soil and groundwater over time. The result is that former dry cleaner locations, long since closed or changed, can still be tied to contamination in the ground around them.

PCE vs TCE: How They Compare

The two are close cousins, which is why they are studied together. This table lays the differences and overlaps side by side.

TCE (trichloroethylene)

• Common use: Degreasing metal parts
• Local source: Former Union Pacific rail yard
• Health classification: Known human carcinogen
• In the body: Cleared within days

PCE (perchloroethylene)

• Common use: Dry cleaning; also degreasing
• Local source: Several former dry cleaning sites
• Health classification: Carries similar cancer and neurological concerns
• In the body: Cleared relatively quickly; can break down into TCE

Key Takeaway: PCE is a separate chemical from a separate source, but it raises similar health concerns. Free testing is designed to cover anyone exposed to either chemical.

How People Could Have Been Exposed

As with TCE, exposure to PCE was not limited to drinking water. Because PCE evaporates readily, it can move from contaminated groundwater into buildings as vapor, so people could have encountered it simply by spending time indoors above the affected area. Direct contact with contaminated groundwater and, for some households, private well water were also possible pathways. This is why eligibility does not hinge on exactly how you might have been exposed.

What This Means for Your Health

Because PCE can break down into TCE and affects similar organ systems, much of what applies to one applies to the other. Health agencies link both to certain cancers and to neurological effects, while stressing that exposure does not guarantee illness. Whether your possible exposure came from TCE, PCE, or both, you qualify for free testing if you spent time in the area; the complete eligibility guide has the details.

For the full picture of the organs involved and why the timeline matters, read our guide to how exposure affects the body over time.

Q: I lived near an old dry cleaner. Should I get tested?
If you spent time in the affected area, yes. PCE from former dry cleaning sites is one of the reasons testing is offered, and it is free through December 31, 2026, with no insurance required.

The Takeaway

PCE is the quieter half of Wichita’s groundwater story, but it matters just as much. Whatever the source of your possible exposure, the response is the same and simple: a free health test that shows where your health stands today.

Free testing is available through December 31, 2026. No insurance required.