Ethylene oxide (EtO) is a common, highly hazardous industrial chemical linked to breast cancer and immune system cancers like non-Hodgkin lymphoma and lymphocytic leukemia (see EPA IRIS Exec Summary, Dec 2016).
Concerned community members in Illinois made it a 2018 campaign issue after two federal agencies released studies showing elevated cancer risks outside Chicago. Due to the effort and organizing of their constituents, members of Congress are now taking action to combat the threat this colorless and highly explosive toxic gas poses to neighborhoods across the country.