In Georgia, employees at a medical supply warehouse are grappling with serious health issues tied to the carcinogenic sterilant ethylene oxide used on medical devices.
Naveena Sadasivam and Lylla Younes report for Grist.
In short:
- Ethylene oxide, a carcinogen, is linked to several health problems in workers at a Georgia warehouse where medical devices are stored.
- Regulatory bodies like OSHA and the EPA have been scrutinized for their handling of ethylene oxide emissions, leading to new state-level measures.
- Georgia's efforts to regulate warehouse emissions stand out nationally, highlighting a significant but previously overlooked source of toxic exposure.
Key quote:
"It just corrupted everything that she ever wanted to do in life, she can't talk, and she's being fed through a tube."
– Derek Mitchell, on the health decline of his fiancée, a warehouse worker exposed to ethylene oxide.
Why this matters:
Some research indicates that ethylene oxide (EtO) emissions have carcinogenic effects, and that EtO sterilization facilities tend to be located in low-income and non-English speaking communities often overburdened by many sources of industrial pollution. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is updating EtO regulations, but environmental health advocates say the new protections aren't sufficient to protect workers and nearby residents.
