The chemical compound trichloroethylene (TCE) is a chlorinated hydrocarbon commonly used as an industrial solvent. While trichloroethylene is know to be very toxic, it has been found in drinking water, surface water and in soil samples near sites where it is used. TCE was first detected in groundwater in the 1970s. It is one of the most frequently detected contaminants in groundwater in the U.S. Up to 34 percent of the drinking water supply sources tested in the U.S. may have some TCE contamination.

It has been linked to cancer and liver disease, the new research links it to Parkinsonism. Parkinsonism refers to a group of nervous system disorders with symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease.

Because of its toxicity, the use of trichloroethylene in the food and pharmaceutical industries has been banned in much of the world since the 1970s. Trichloroethylene was also used from about 1930 as a anesthetic and analgesic by millions of people, before its toxicity was well understood.
Researchers from the University of Kentucky looked at factory workers who were exposed to the chemical at work. The researchers found that workers that worked close to the toxic chemical showed clear symptoms of Parkinsonism. The findings were published in the Annals of Neurology.

Trichloroethylene goes by a number of names including:
1,1,2-Trichloroethylene
Acetylene trichloroethylene
Algylen
Anameth
Benzinol
Chlorilen
CirCosolv
Germalgene
Lethurin
Perm-a-chlor
Petzinol
Philex
TRI-Plus M
Vitran

Source
Annals of Neurology