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Have you or a loved one been exposed to ethylene oxide (EtO)? This chemical, commonly used to sterilize medical equipment and preserve certain foods, has been linked to several types of cancer. Hundreds of people have already filed lawsuits after suffering serious health effects, and you might have a case too.
An experienced ethylene oxide lawsuit attorney can help you understand your rights. Contact The Goldwater Law Firm today to find out if you may be eligible to take legal action.
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What Cancers Are Associated With Ethylene Oxide Exposure?
One of the characteristics of ethylene oxide is its ability to change DNA. According to the National Toxicology Program’s 15th Report on Carcinogens, “The DNA-damaging activity of ethylene oxide explains its effectiveness as a sterilant, and this same property accounts for its carcinogenic risk to humans.” According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “EtO is known to cause cancer, including lymphocytic leukemia, breast cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and myeloma in people.”
If you or your child was diagnosed with one or more of the following conditions, you could qualify for the ethylene oxide lawsuit:
Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Non-Hodgkin’s (or non-Hodgkin) lymphoma affects the lymph nodes, organs, and glands that make up the lymphatic system. According to the National Cancer Institute, lymphoma is one of the two cancers most commonly associated with exposure to ethylene oxide.
Myeloma
Myeloma is a cancer that affects plasma cells. Also known as multiple myeloma, this cancer has been linked to ethylene oxide exposure.
Lymphocytic Leukemia
Leukemia, which affects blood and bone marrow, is one of the two cancers most commonly associated with EtO exposure. This type of cancer is common in children.
Breast Cancer
The Journal of the National Cancer Institute found an increased risk of breast cancer associated with EtO-emitting plants within 10 kilometers (approximately 6.2 miles). The study found that the risk was higher for “in situ” breast cancer (cancer that has not spread) than it was for “invasive” breast cancer (cancer that has spread to surrounding breast tissue from the milk duct).
Suffered Health Issues After Ethylene Oxide Exposure?
What Is the Lawsuit?
The ethylene oxide lawsuit alleges that the defendants knew about the dangers of ethylene oxide and continued to release dangerous levels of the gas into neighborhoods.
Ethylene Oxide Lawsuit Updates
New plaintiffs file ethylene oxide exposure lawsuits regularly. We will post updates on the lawsuit and anything that might affect it here.
August 1, 2025
Sixteen Lehigh County residents sued the B. Braun facility in Hanover Township, PA, for exposing them to dangerous ethylene oxide. Some of the plaintiffs are former employees of the facilities. Almost half of the plaintiffs have breast cancer, while three of the sixteen affected have passed away, according to WFMZ.
July 25, 2025
Four women filed a federal lawsuit against Eastman Chemical Company, alleging that emissions from its plant in Longview, TX, caused their breast cancer. The lawsuit claims that the plant emitted “dangerous and/or excessive” amounts of EtO and that self-reporting shows that the plant has emitted high levels of ethylene oxide for decades, according to News Channel 11.
July 2, 2025
A class action alleges that several companies put Kansas City, Kansas, residents at risk for cancer due to EtO emissions, according to KMBC9.
May 7, 2025
A Georgia State Court judge rejected the $50 million punitive damages award from a Georgia jury and declared a mistrial specific to the punitive damages proceedings. The mistrial came days after the jury awarded a $20 million compensatory damages verdict against Becton Dickinson and Company. While the punitive damages award was rejected, the compensatory damages verdict stands in favor of the man who developed cancer while working as a short-haul truck driver.
May 2, 2025
A Georgia jury awarded a man $20 million in compensatory damages and $50 million in punitive damages to a man who developed cancer during his career as a short-haul trucker. He alleged that he was exposed to ethylene oxide during pickups at the plant and while living in the area.
March 29, 2025
Waukegan, Illinois, residents will split a $48.15 million settlement from Isomedix, a subsidiary of STERIS, plc, for ethylene oxide exposure, according to the Chicago Tribune.
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March 14, 2025
A Colorado jury found that Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies was not liable for the alleged release of EtO into Lakewood neighborhoods, according to The Colorado Sun. This was a bellwether case for arguments against Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies. The plaintiffs appealed the decision.
February 18, 2025
B. Braun Medical Inc. settled the majority of the lawsuits against it pertaining to ethylene oxide exposure at its facility in Hanover Township, PA. The details of this settlement are confidential, according to 69News WFMZ-TV.
February 6, 2025
A multi-plaintiff ethylene oxide exposure trial began in Colorado, according to Courtroom View Network.
April 7, 2023
According to the EPA and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, thousands of people living in Lakewood, CO, have a higher risk of cancer due to ethylene oxide emissions at the Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies. There are almost 10,000 people at risk within a mile of the facility. Approximately 1,900 of the people at risk are children.
February 6, 2023
Sterigenics offered a $408 million settlement for approximately 870 lawsuits for exposure at a shuttered Willowbrook facility that sterilized medical equipment, pharmaceutical drugs, and spices, according to Insurance Journal.
September 20, 2022
An Illinois jury awarded a $363 million verdict against Sterigenics on behalf of a woman who developed cancer after exposure to ethylene oxide, according to CBS News. This is the first case of over 700 plaintiffs filed against Sterigenics and its parent company, Sotera Health.
December 27, 2019
Six former teachers at Hinsdale South High School in Darien, Illinois, sued Sterigenics for cancer caused by ethylene oxide emissions, according to ABC7 Chicago. Five of the former teachers developed breast cancer, while one developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The Sterigenics plant is less than one mile from the school. This brings the total number of plaintiffs in these lawsuits to 85.
September 30, 2019
Sterigenics officially ceases operations at its facility in Willowbrook.
Considering a Lawsuit Over the Harmful Effects of Ethylene Oxide?
July 18, 2019
Thirty-two plaintiffs filed lawsuits against Sterigenics, alleging that they developed cancer from ethylene oxide emissions at their Willowbrook facility, according to ABC7 in Chicago.
May 30, 2019
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that people living within 1.5 miles of the Willowbrook Sterigenics facility had a 10x higher risk of developing cancer when the plant was open. Those within 1/3 of a mile of the facility faced the highest risk, per ABC7 Chicago.
March 29, 2019
A study by the Illinois Department of Public Health found that the “incidence of some cancers in the area surrounding Sterigenics was elevated.” It found higher rates of Hodgkin’s lymphoma, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, and pancreatic cancer. It also found that girls had a higher risk of developing lymphoma.
February 15, 2019
The Illinois EPA ordered the Willowbrook Sterigenics plant to shut down after testing showed “extreme daily fluctuations” in ethylene oxide levels and “the highest levels of EtO recorded in the area to date,” according to ABC7 Chicago. Earlier in the month, some Illinois lawmakers asked the Illinois EPA to force the facility to close down immediately.
December 19, 2018
An activist group, Stop Sterigenics, released a letter that proves the EPA knew about the dangers of elevated ethylene oxide emissions at the Willowbrook, Illinois, facility in 1984.
October 30, 2018
The Illinois Attorney General filed a lawsuit against Sterigenics for polluting the air through its Willowbrook facility.
2018
The plaintiffs filed the first lawsuits against the Sterigenics facility in Willowbrook.
1999
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services revised ethylene oxide’s entry in the Ninth Annual Report on Carcinogens, changing it from “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen” to “known to be a carcinogen.”
1985
Ethylene oxide first appeared in the Fourth Annual Report on Carcinogens as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.”
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Frequently Asked Questions
If you were exposed either directly or indirectly to ethylene oxide and later developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, myeloma, lymphocytic leukemia, or breast cancer, you could qualify to file a lawsuit. If some or all of the following apply to you, we recommend that you call us to learn more about your options:
- You lived within five miles of a commercial sterilization facility.
- A doctor diagnosed you with breast cancer, lymphocytic leukemia, myeloma, or non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
- If your doctor diagnosed you with breast cancer, you lived in a qualifying zip code for five or more years, were diagnosed at least five years after your EtO exposure, and have not tested positive for BRCA1 or BRCA2.
- If your doctor diagnosed you with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, multiple myeloma, or lymphocytic leukemia, you lived in a qualifying zip code for two or more years, and were diagnosed at least two years after your EtO exposure.
- You were not exposed to Agent Orange before your diagnosis.
The compensation you may be eligible to recover through an ethylene oxide cancer lawsuit will depend on your unique circumstances, including the type of cancer diagnosed, the severity of your condition, and how it has impacted your life. Potential compensation may include:
- Medical bills: Coverage for past and future expenses related to your cancer diagnosis, including hospital stays, chemotherapy, radiation, surgeries, medications, specialist visits, and follow-up care
- Lost wages: Reimbursement for income you’ve lost while undergoing treatment or recovering from surgery or other procedures related to your cancer
- Lost earning capacity: Compensation for the long-term or permanent impact your cancer has had on your ability to work, including reduced hours, early retirement, or career changes due to your condition
- Miscellaneous expenses: Reimbursement for out-of-pocket costs related to your illness, such as travel to medical appointments, home health care, medical equipment, or necessary home modifications
- Pain and suffering: Damages for the physical pain, emotional distress, anxiety, and diminished quality of life that can come with a cancer diagnosis and treatment
While punitive damages are rare, courts have awarded them in these cases.
Yes, there have been several multi-million-dollar settlements and verdicts in the past few years:
- $408 million for hundreds of plaintiffs who sued Sterigenics
- $20 million for a man who developed cancer after being exposed to ethylene oxide as a short-haul trucker
- $363 million for a woman who developed cancer after being exposed to ethylene oxide emissions from Sterigenics’ Willowbrook, IL, plant
- $48.15 million for Waukegan, Illinois, residents exposed to ethylene oxide
The defendants in the EtO lawsuits are commercial sterilizers and organic chemical manufacturing (MON) facilities.
A bellwether trial is the first case to go to court in a group of related lawsuits. It serves as a test run, giving both sides a chance to present their arguments and see how they might hold up in future trials. The outcome can help predict the direction and potential success of the remaining cases.
A lawyer experienced in ethylene oxide cases can help you understand your legal options, gather evidence, and build a strong claim on your behalf. A lawyer from one of our co-counsels can investigate your exposure history, consult with medical experts, and pursue compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Our law firm partners are committed to holding companies accountable for the harm they cause and guiding you through every step of the legal process with clarity and care. Each co-counsel has access to our robust pool of legal and investigative resources, giving them the tools they need to build a compelling case on your behalf.
EtO is “mutagenic,” which means it damages DNA. This makes exposure especially dangerous for children. Prolonged exposure to EtO can damage the body’s DNA and cause cancer. Four cancers commonly associated with ethylene oxide exposure are lymphocytic leukemia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, breast cancer, and myeloma.
Those who are most at-risk for exposure and its effects include those who:
- Use ethylene oxide in their professions
- Work in ethylene oxide plants
- Live or work near facilities that use or produce ethylene oxide, typically up to 1.5 miles away
- Go to school or daycare near facilities that produce or use EtO, typically up to 1.5 miles away
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) found the highest ethylene oxide exposure levels at the facility in Willowbrook, Illinois. Per the ATSDR, there was a lifetime cancer risk of 6.4 per 1,000 residents at this site.
Yes, ethylene oxide is a carcinogen, according to the EPA. The EPA states that long-term exposure increases white blood cell cancer risk, specifically myeloma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and lymphocytic leukemia. It also increases the risk of breast cancer in women.
OSHA and other organizations dictate the thresholds for ethylene oxide exposure in workplaces. For the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the threshold is one ppm averaged over an eight-hour shift and a five ppm excursion limit averaged over 15 minutes. This threshold is known as the permissible exposure level; employers must ensure that employees are not exposed to levels above this.
While short-term exposure can lead to nausea, eye pain, sore throat, difficulty breathing, blurred vision, and headache, the EPA argues that short-term exposure is likely not harmful.
The plaintiffs in the ethylene oxide lawsuits were typically exposed to ethylene oxide daily for decades.
As of August 2025, there are plants located in 32 states across the country, including Puerto Rico. Some plants have closed recently, but you can still hold the company liable if it exposed you to ethylene oxide. For example, the Willowbrook, Illinois, plant had the highest exposure levels before it closed. If you live or lived near a plant on this list (or one that has since closed), you may qualify to file a lawsuit for your cancer diagnosis.
Get Help With Your Ethylene Oxide Lawsuit Today
At The Goldwater Law Firm, we partner with some of the country’s largest and most successful law firms to ensure that victims of corporate negligence get the justice they deserve. We refuse to let companies injure people through careless actions and walk away without consequence. If you’ve been harmed by ethylene oxide exposure, we can connect you with a law firm near you ready to fight for your rights.
Call us today to get started.