Sterigenics plants in Smyrna and Covington, Georgia, have long used ethylene oxide in sterilization of medical equipment. The Environmental Protection Agency air assessment from last year found several census tracts around those plants had significantly increased cancer risks due to ethylene oxide. The EPA recently concluded that the gas is dangerous at lower levels than previously believed.
Ethylene oxide is an organic compound with the formula C2H4O. A colorless and flammable gas with a faintly sweet odor, it has many uses in industry but is not safe for household