The Facts About Ethylene Oxide That You Need to Know

If you mention the term “ethylene oxide” to someone, you might get a blank look in return. While you may encounter this substance in many places, most people do not know anything about it. You should probably know the term, though, and what this substance does. 

Ethylene oxide exposure can cause illness if you’re not careful when using it. You will sometimes see personal injury lawsuits involving ethylene oxide. Since you can find this substance in many more situations than you might expect, it’s worth knowing the basics. We will discuss some of them right now.

What Does the Term “Ethylene Oxide” Mean and How Does One Use It?

Ethylene oxide takes the form of a gas that’s flavorless and colorless. If it’s in the atmosphere around you, then you wouldn’t know it, at least not till it started impacting you.

As for how you might use it, you can find many individuals, companies, and industries utilizing it every day around the country. For instance, you might use it to make antifreeze and various solvents. You can use it in textile manufacturing.

You can use it when making adhesives and detergents. You need it when making polyurethane foam. You also use it when making several types of pharmaceuticals. 

The Sterilization Factor

You can use this substance, sometimes given the abbreviation EtO, if you need to sterilize certain items. For example, you might have some handy while sterilizing medical equipment. You can sterilize dental equipment with it as well.

You can sterilize some food products with it. If you’re working somewhere that makes or readies foods like walnuts, sesame seeds, dried vegetables, dried herbs, and spices, you might use it. 

You can also see some companies use it that make pesticides. The pesticide might contain some. That’s why you’ll see people use extreme caution and dress in protective clothing if they work in a facility that makes and packages pesticide. 

Does Ethylene Oxide Have an Environmental Impact?

Certain individuals and government entities regard ethylene oxide suspiciously. They usually point to the environmental impact when discussing it’s use. 

It’s true that ethylene oxide fits into the hazardous air pollutant category. You sometimes see other chemicals get this designation too, which some abbreviate as HAP. Some companies and industries use HAPs. Even if they acknowledge the potential danger, they feel if they only use a little bit in their industrial processes, then it’s justified. 

The law agrees, as EtO does have legal status. Much like many pollutants that get into our atmosphere, the companies and industries that use it feel that they have justification. If a small amount gets into the atmosphere, they reason that it will disperse enough so that it hopefully won’t sicken anyone nearby. 

As you might expect, if a company sets up shop somewhere with people living or working nearby, and they’re releasing too much EtO into the atmosphere, you might see some sick individuals sooner rather than later. That’s how some of the lawsuits happen that we mentioned earlier. An overzealous company may use too much EtO with a neighborhood or business district nearby.

What Can Companies Do to Prevent This?

When a company or industry uses EtO, they must do so while working within government mandates. They might have a regulatory inspector visit them at any time, and they must show compliance. 

EtO can get into the air, but you might also see it get into drinking water. That can make someone sick as well. It’s just another reason why stringent regulations must remain in place.

Most people get sick through air exposure, though. That’s the main thing inspectors look for when they visit plants and lab facilities that use it. 

What Might EtO Do if You Ingest or Inhale It?

Like many pollutants, you might not see a lasting impact if you have exposure for a while. You could get a little exposure over a decades-long period and not necessarily have any negative results.

However, you can also get cancer in some instances. Anecdotal evidence suggests that if you have exposure over many years or get massive exposure over a short period, you can more easily develop lymphoid cancer. Women have a higher breast cancer risk with exposure.

Animal testing paints a more complete picture. Animals that got heavy exposure doses had much higher cancer in their mammary glands, uteri, connective tissues, lungs, and brains.

Obviously, that is not great news. Some regulatory entities feel that we should ban this substance’s use entirely. Again, though, if the facilities that use it follow strict rules, and they don’t let too much get into the atmosphere or our drinking water, the government seems to feel that a total ban doesn’t make sense at this time.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health feels that we should classify this substance as a human carcinogen and that we should do away with it entirely. For the moment, though, you won’t find any plans to completely disallow its use.

How to Avoid EtO

To avoid this substance, you can stay away from products that contain it. If you must use them, then wear sterile protective gear like goggles, gloves, masks, etc.

If you work at any facility that uses it, don’t ever let down your guard. Your place of work should also tell you that you’re using a potentially carcinogenic substance. If they don’t tell you that, and then exposure makes you sick, you will probably have a winning personal injury lawsuit on your hands.

If you do get sick from working with this substance for a long time, you might collect millions. However, in these instances, you must also prove that this gas gave you cancer.

That’s not always easy. If you do bring a lawsuit because a company had you working with EtO, though, you have a lower burden of proof to get a jury’s verdict in your favor than what you would have in a criminal trial.