Trichloroethylene is a synthetic cleaning agent that was found in wells G and H in the town of Woburn. "TCE is a nonflammable, colorless liquid with a somewhat sweet odor and a sweet, burning taste and it is used mainly as a solvent to remove grease from metal parts, but it is also an ingredient in adhesives, paint removers, typewriter correction fluids, and spot removers"(ToxFaqs). Because TCE is synthetic, or man-made, it does not occur naturally in the environment and when the presence of TCE is realized it is clear that someone had to place it there. .
TCE has been found in underground water sources and many surface waters because of industrial errors in its disposal, assuming that the disposal was legal of course. While Trichloroethylene does dissolve somewhat in water, the toxin can remain in ground water for a considerable amount of time (ToxFaqs). Contact with TCE is highly unadvisable because of the adverse health risks associated with the toxin. However this may be difficult to avoid in contaminated areas because one may ingest the toxin by drinking, swimming, or showering in water that has been contaminated with the agent. A scientific study showed that prolonged exposure to TCE may cause liver, kidney and/or lung cancer (ToxFaqs). Even periodic heavy dosages of TCE can cause impaired heart function, unconsciousness and even death (ToxFaqs). .
This contamination of Woburn's drinking water led to heightened and unexplained cases of childhood Leukemia within the small town. This pocket of Leukemia, in which cases were too high in number and too close in proximity, led people in the town to suspect that this was not just a random occurrence and that something that everyone shared, the water, must be to blame (Harr, 21). The water, pumped from wells G and H, that serviced East Woburn was under constant scrutiny, its foul odor and strange taste led many to believe that something was wrong (Harr, 23).
