Modeled exposure to tetrachloroethylene-contaminated drinking water and the risk of placenta-related stillbirths: a case-control study from Massachusetts and Rhode Island

Background Residents of Massachusetts and Rhode Island were exposed to tetrachloroethylene (PCE)-contaminated drinking water from 1968 through the early 1990s when the solvent was used to apply a vinyl liner to drinking water mains to address taste and odor problems. Few studies have examined the risk of fetal death among women exposed to solvent-contaminated drinking water. Two previous investigations found moderate increases in the risk of stillbirth among highly exposed women; however, these results were based on a small number of cases. The present case-control study was undertaken to examine further this association with a large number of stillbirths.