CDC STACKS serves as an archival repository of CDC-published products including scientific findings, journal articles, guidelines, recommendations, or other public health information authored or co-authored by CDC or funded partners.
As a repository, CDC STACKS retains documents in their original published format to ensure public access to scientific information.
i
ATSDR clinician brief : Ethylene oxide
-
07/28/2022
[PDF-281.86 KB]
Details:
-
Corporate Authors:
-
Description:Ethylene oxide (EtO) is a colorless and flammable gas with a sweet, fruity odor at room temperature. It dissolves in water, alcohol, and most water-miscible organic solvents. It has an estimated half-life in air ranging from 69-149 days, while its half-life in water ranges from 12 to 14 days in sterile, deionized, and natural river water. Increased salinity decreases the half-life of ethylene oxide (ATSDR 2020, EPA 2018).
Ethylene oxide is mostly used to produce other chemicals such as ethylene glycol (antifreeze). A small percentage of ethylene oxide is used in the sterilization or fumigation of certain equipment (about 50% of all sterile medical devices), cosmetics, and food (ATSDR 2020, EPA 2018, NTP 2021). Ethylene oxide is highly effective as a sterilant gas where it can penetrate packaging (such as cardboard, shrink wrap, paper, and other wrappings) and destroy bacteria and viruses (ATSDR 2020).
CS332432-A
Publication date from document properties.
Clinician-Brief-Ethylene-Oxide-508.pdf
-
Subjects:
-
Document Type:
-
Pages in Document:9 numbered pages
-
Collection(s):
-
Main Document Checksum:
-
Download URL:
-
File Type:
