Ethylene Oxide

SECTION 2: Hazards identification

OSHA EMERGENCY OVERVIEW DANGER! Cancer hazard and reproductive hazard. Toxic, extremely flammable liquid and gas under pressure. Can form explosive mixtures with air. Can cause eye and skin burns. Can irritate the respiratory tract. May cause nervous system damage and cataracts. Liquid may cause frostbite. May cause dizziness and drowsiness. Symptoms of exposure may be delayed. Self-contained breathing apparatus must be worn by rescue workers. Under ambient conditions, this colorless liquid has an ether-like odor. OSHA REGULATORY STATUS: This material is considered hazardous by the OSHA Hazard Communications Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200).

Potential health effects

Effects of a Single (Acute) Overexposure Inhalation. May be fatal if inhaled in high concentrations. Ethylene oxide irritates the respiratory tract. Depending on the degree of exposure, there may be stinging of the nose and throat, coughing, chest tightness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, lightheaded feeling, weakness, drowsiness, cyanosis, loss of coordination, convulsions, and coma. May cause lung injury and the delayed onset of pulmonary edema. Copyright © 1982-1983, 1985-1988, 1991, 1993, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2009, Praxair Skin Contact. Sustained contact of vapor with the skin is unlikely but can cause headache, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. A dilute solution may penetrate the skin, producing a chemical burn. Contact with the liquid or with water solutions may produce a local erythema, edema, and formation of vesicles. These signs may not appear for several hours. Large concentrations of liquid spilled on the skin may cause frostbite, a freezing injury resembling a burn. Swallowing. A highly unlikely route of exposure. Will cause severe irritation and ulceration of the mouth and throat, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, collapse, and coma. Frostbite of the lips and mouth may result from contact with the liquid. Eye Contact. Liquid may cause frostbite and severe irritation with corneal injury. High concentrations of vapor may cause moderate irritation. Effects of Repeated (Chronic) Overexposure. Allergic contact dermatitis may occur in a small proportion of exposed workers. In various reports involving recurring exposures to high concentrations of ethylene oxide vapor, peripheral neurotoxic effects, and, in some cases, indications of central nervous system toxicity, were described. In most cases, there was marked improvement on removal from further exposure. A few cases of cataract formation have also been linked to such exposures. Although one epidemiological study has suggested that women exposed to ethylene oxide may have an increased incidence of spontaneous abortions, the laboratory findings indicate that if adverse reproductive effects are produced by ethylene oxide, these occur only at high exposure concentrations. OSHA considers that, at excessive levels, ethylene oxide may present reproductive, mutagenic, genotoxic, neurologic, and sensitization hazards. Other Effects of Overexposure. May cause cataracts. For other effects, see below and section 11, Toxicological Information.

Medical Conditions Generally Aggravated by Exposure

Overexposure. The toxicology and the physical and chemical properties of ethylene oxide suggest that overexposure is unlikely to aggravate existing medical conditions. CARCINOGENICITY: OSHA considers ethylene oxide to pose a human cancer hazard and a human reproductive hazard. The IARC assigns it to Group 1, “Carcinogenic to humans.” The NTP classifies it as “known to be a human carcinogen.” Refer to OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1047 for additional information.

Environmental effects

None known. For further information, see section 12, Ecological Information.