This story was originally published byGrist.
The Environmental Protection Agency has finally taken notice.
Still, regulators and community advocates alike hailed the change.
Photo: Getty Images/Grist (Getty Images)
The medical sterilization industry has recently warned that too stringent regulations risk disrupting the supply of medical equipment.
The decision will come as a disappointment, he said, to residents who hoped for more immediate relief.
Ethylene oxide emissions from the warehouses where medical equipment is stored after sterilization are a growing concern.
After fumigation, these items can carry traces of the chemical that evaporate for days or weeks afterward.
The EPAs new regulations do not cover such emissions, an omission Brown called unfortunate.
Theres still a lot more work to be done, he said of the new rule.
Ethylene Oxide Facts
What is ethylene oxide?
What are the sources of ethylene oxide exposure?
What are the health effects of being exposed to ethylene oxide?
Acute exposure to the chemical can cause loss of consciousness or lead to a seizure or coma.
How is the EPA regulating ethylene oxide?
The EPA just finalized regulations for ethylene oxide emissions from the sterilization industry.
The new rule requires companies to install equipment that minimizes the amount of the chemical released into the air.
An earlier version of this story misstated the health risk of ethylene oxide.
Its 30 times more toxic to adults and 60 times more toxic to children than previous estimates.
This article originally appeared inGristathttps://grist.org/accountability/epa-finally-cracks-down-on-the-carcinogen-used-to-sterilize-medical-equipment/.
Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future.
News from the future, delivered to your present.
