EPA: Lakewood among 19 U.S. cities with high levels of ethylene oxide in the air

Lakewood is one of 19 U.S. cities to have high levels of ethylene oxide. 

The EPA held a meeting this week to discuss concerns. It's a colorless and flammable gas. It's also typically odorless, with levels found in the air. The EPA says, when over-inhaled over time, this gas is known to cause blood cancers and breast cancer in women.

According to the EPA, "In the coming weeks, EPA plans to engage with communities facing the highest risk to hear about their concerns and answer their questions as we share details about this risk assessment, community risk, and efforts to reduce this risk ..." 

Per the EPA, according to the Food and Drug Administration, "EtO is currently used to treat approximately 50% of sterile medical devices, about 20 billion medical devices annually. For some devices, EtO is the only safe and effective sterilization method currently available. However, EPA is working to reduce EtO emissions and FDA is looking to identify alternatives to EtO."

Regardless of its common use in the health industry, the cancer-causing concerns remain, so the EPA is working toward air toxin regulation updates for ethylene oxide under the Clean Air act to get better control of it in some communities such as Lakewood.