We searched and found something about Ethylene Oxide and wanted share with you. Ethylene oxide, also called oxirane, is the organic compound with the formula c. This colorless flammable gas with a faintly sweet odor is the simplest epoxide, a three-membered ring consisting of two carbon and one oxygen atom.
It is commonly handled and shipped as a refrigerated liquid. It is the chief precursor to ethylene glycol and other high volume chemicals but is also used for medical sterilization.
How can ethylene oxide harm workers?
In addition to eye pain and sore throat, exposure to EtO can cause difficult breathing and blurred vision. Exposure can also cause dizziness, nausea, headache, convulsions, blisters and can result in vomiting and coughing. Both human and animal studies show that EtO is a carcinogen that may cause leukemia and other cancers. EtO is also linked to spontaneous abortion, genetic damage, nerve damage, peripheral paralysis, muscle weakness, as well as impaired thinking and memory. In liquid form, EtO can cause severe skin irritation upon prolonged or confined contact.
Article source: wikipedia.org and osha.gov
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