Ethylene Oxide (C2H4O)

Ethylene Oxide (C2H4O)

Ethylene oxide (C2H4O) – also known as ETO – was massively used during the First World War to produce refrigerant fluid and poison gas. Nowadays it is essentially synthetized and used as a raw material by the chemical industry (antifreeze and polyester resin) or exploited for its desinfectant properties in the pharmaceutical, food and textile industries.

Ethylene Oxide effects on health

Ethylene oxide (ETO) is a colorless gas with a sweet apple smell. This gas is toxic by inhalataion (R23) or in contact with the sin, eyes and breathing system (R36/37/38). The IARC* noticed a link between exposure to ETO and some kinds of cancer (R45) or inheritable genic damages (R46) in case of chronic exposure. As it is flammable (R12), it can form explosive gaseous mixtures with or without contact with air (R6).