A new round of air testing near medical equipment sterilization facilities in metro Atlanta reveals higher levels of cancer-causing ethylene oxide gas. The test results are alarming, especially given that Sterigenics in Cobb County claims to have installed new pollution control equipment to capture the ethylene oxide before it leaks into the air.
What is Ethylene Oxide?
Ethylene oxide is a colorless gas that is often used to sterilize medical equipment. It functions as
a disinfectant, fungicide, and a pesticide. When a person inhales ethylene oxide, the gas can destroy DNA and damage cells. Exposure can cause a variety of dangerous conditions, including blood disorders, emphysema, nervous system damage, miscarriages, and infertility. Prolonged ethylene oxide exposure has been linked to breast cancer, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, lung cancer, lymphocytic leukemia, myeloma, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, pancreatic cancer, stomach cancer, and uterine cancer. Ethylene oxide is on the US Environmental Protection Agency’s list of known human carcinogens – chemicals that cause cancer.
Two New Air Tests
Two recent sets of air testing show that there has been an increase in levels of ethylene oxide since the Sterigenics plant reopened in April 2020. (The facility shut down in August 2019 to upgrade its pollution control equipment).
GHD, a private company, conducted the first set of tests. A coalition of governments hired GHD to conduct independent testing on behalf of local Atlanta residents. The GHD tests showed that ethylene oxide levels in Cobb and Fulton counties had increased more than 900% since September 2019. The levels jumped from 0.19 micrograms per cubic meter of air to 1.97 micrograms per cubic meter.
The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) conducted the second air test in South Cobb County. EPD found that levels of ethylene oxide had doubled since September 2019, increasing from 0.3 micrograms per cubic meter to approximately 0.6 micrograms per cubic meter.
What do these results reveal? There are increased levels of ethylene oxide in the air when the plants are operating, despite the company’s new pollution control equipment. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, long-term exposure to ethylene oxide higher than 0.02 micrograms per cubic meter of air presents an unacceptable health risk, with an estimated 100 cases of cancer for every one million people exposed.
A History of Health Issues
In 2018, the Environmental Protection Agency published its National Air Toxics Assessment, which identifies areas in the US with high risks of cancer due to exposure to airborne toxins. Cobb County and Newton County were on this list due to high ethylene oxide contamination; however, the EPA did not notify Georgia residents about the potential dangers of exposure. Then, in July 2019, WebMD and Georgia Health News co-authored an article about ethylene oxide contamination caused by Sterigenic’s plant in Smyrna (Cobb County) and BD Bard’s plant in Covington (Newton County). The WebMD article raised the alarm for those living in the affected areas, with outraged residents demanding additional, independent air testing. The article also led to federal and state regulatory scrutiny, legislation from the Georgia General Assembly, as well as a slew of new litigation.
How Zinns Law Can Help
In September 2020, Zinns Law announced new claims against Sterigenics related to the company’s negligent emission of ethylene oxide and the high cancer rates in surrounding communities.
If you worked at the Sterigenics and BD Bard plants, you might be able to file a claim – even if you have not developed an illness. Residents in the affected areas who have developed cancer may also be able to file a claim. They may also be entitled to compensation for the decrease in their property values or for nuisance due to the contamination. If you have additional questions about ethylene oxide exposure or need help with your case, please contact Zinns Law at (888) 882-9002 or via our online contact form.