Ethylene Oxide
This chemical profile focuses on ethylene oxide, a known human carcinogen.
This map shows the locations of the facilities that reported ethylene oxide to TRI for 2023, sized by their relative release quantities to air. Click on a facility for more details on its reporting.
Click on any one of the locations on the map to see detailed information.
View Larger Map
The figure below presents the 10-year trend in air releases of ethylene oxide.
- From 2014 to 2023, releases of ethylene oxide to air decreased by 100,000 pounds (-38%).
- The chemical manufacturing sector accounts for most of the ethylene oxide air releases.
Ethylene oxide is a human carcinogen, meaning that it is known to cause cancer in humans. It is used for a variety of industrial purposes including sterilizing medical equipment and producing other chemicals.
Visit EPA’s ethylene oxide homepage for more information and to learn about EPA’s actions to reduce exposures.
Visit ATSDR’s ToxFAQs for ethylene oxide to learn more about the effects of exposure.
This page was published in August 2025 and uses the 2023 TRI National Analysis dataset made public in TRI Explorer in October 2024.