Ethylene Oxide: Balancing Risks and Justice in the US

In 2016, the Environmental Protection Agency reclassified ethylene oxide (EtO) as a hazardous substance. After 2018, when pollution from EtO started causing concerns, both federal and state regulators listened to the public but followed a cost-benefit approach that slowed down risk reduction. This approach prioritized financial factors over immediate action, showing how our system might be stuck in old ways of handling new risks. We looked at Illinois and Georgia, states with high EtO exposure and strong public response.

Our research found that political and systemic barriers limited risk mitigation, creating a gap between what people expected and the actual environmental results. This issue fits into a bigger picture of a "risk society" where we accept some risks but doesn't address how different groups experience these risks based on their social class.

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