What is ethylene oxide?
Ethylene Oxide, or EtO, is a flammable, colorless gas used to sterilize medical equipment and other plastics sensitive to heat or moisture and as an antimicrobial treatment for spices, among other things.
Its chemical properties make it especially good at killing viruses, bacteria, and human cells by reacting with proteins, DNA, and other essential cellular components. While EtO is widely used, safer alternatives exist.
HOW DANGEROUS IS IT?
Ethylene oxide is a known cancer-causing chemical. Chronic exposure to EtO—inhaled throughout a person’s life—is associated with the development of cancers of the white blood cells, such as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, myeloma, and lymphocytic leukemia. Studies have also shown a relationship between EtO exposure and breast cancer in women.
Also, because EtO is mutagenic—meaning it can change a cell’s DNA—children may be especially susceptible to its effects because their cells divide more rapidly as they grow. People who live, work, and attend school near facilities that release EtO into the air are at risk of hazardous exposures even when the facilities use the best available technologies to handle and contain it.
Acute inhalation of EtO can also contribute to headaches, gastrointestinal issues, fatigue, and eye and skin burns.
