Abstract
Ethylene oxide is a basic chemical building block for a slew of modern products, including plastics and medicines. This seven-atom molecule is the simplest epoxide. But not much is simple in the debate over how much of this flammable gas—which is carcinogenic when inhaled—is safe for the public to breathe. The issue is coming to a head now because the US Environmental Protection Agency is under a court-imposed deadline to revise, by early next year, regulations on hazardous air pollution for plants that manufacture ethylene oxide. On one side of this controversy are makers of ethylene oxide. They have found a partner in the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to support their assertion that the gas is a far less potent carcinogen than the EPA concluded in 2016. Texas is home to 5 of the nation’s top 10 emitters of ethylene oxide, according to 2017 chemical release data, the
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
