ETHYLENE OXIDE: THE INVISIBLE CANCER-CAUSING THREAT IMPACTING COMMUNITIES
EPA scientists and analysts recently completed risk assessments on 104 facilities in the United States that use and release Ethylene Oxide (EtO)—a known cancer-causing chemical—into the surrounding air.
The blue circles on the following map highlight the 23 commercial sterilizers that emit ethylene oxide at levels that definitively contribute to elevated cancer risk for surrounding communities, as determined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2022. This may still underestimate overall risk, given that ethylene oxide is often just one of several toxic air pollutants that affected communities may be exposed to. The excess cancer risk specifically attributable to EtO emissions has been identified where possible.
It is important to note that other EtO-emitting facilities exist; the sites on this map are highlighted because the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working on establishing more robust emissions standards for these facilities.
You can view information on the individual sites by selecting them from the hazardous locations menu option.
