The presence of a dangerous chemical in the air of southeast Louisiana's 'Cancer Alley,' which has a substantial Black population, is far greater than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated and exceeds safe limits, a study published Tuesday found. The levels of ethylene oxide, exposure to which can cause lung, breast, or other cancers, are nine times higher than the EPA estimated, the study, which was published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, shows.
com/s9vygj8RlV— Beyond Petrochemicals June 11, 2024 People in Cancer Alley are nearly twice as likely to get cancer as other Americans, and ethylene oxide accounts for most of the known carcinogenic risk there, roughly 68%, if EPA estimates are correct. 'The fact that so much of the environmental risk in this area seems to come from a single chemical is remarkable,' the study authors wrote.