Desorption Kinetics of Trichloroethylene and Perchloroethylene from Cotton Fabrics

Linen and twisted weave cotton fabrics were exposed to trichloroethylene (114, 164 or 246 ppm) or perchloroethylene (130 or 282 ppm) for 6 h and then desorption kinetics were determined for 20 min in solvent-free air. Both sol vents desorbed from the cotton samples with an initial rapid rate and subse quently more slowly. Clothes that had been subjected to commercial dry cleaning with perchloroethylene were shown to be a source of indoor air pollu tion for the organo-chloro solvent.