EPA is monitoring possible cancer-causing emissions in Southwest Memphis
A syringe is prepared at a clinic in Norristown, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 7, 2021. The Environmental Protection Agency is warning residents in 13 states and Puerto Rico about potential health risks from emissions of ethylene oxide, a chemical widely used to sterilize medical equipment and decontaminate spices. (Matt Rourke/AP file)
A recent assessment of a local commercial sterilization facility shows elevated risk of long-term exposure to ethylene oxide, a chemical that is carcinogenic to humans through inhalation.
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Shelby County Health Department Environmental Protection Agency EPA South Memphis ethylene oxide carcinogenKeely Brewer
Keely Brewer is a Report for America corps member covering environmental impacts on communities of color in Memphis. She is working in partnership with the Ag & Water Desk, a sustainable reporting network aimed at telling water and agriculture stories across the Mississippi River Basin.
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