California Identifies Stronger Carcinogenic Risks from Air Contaminants

Recent announcements from California’s environmental health officials reveal that two airborne pollutants, acrolein and ethylene oxide, may pose much greater cancer risks than previously understood. The state’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment released a draft finding indicating that these compounds could present a cancer risk more than ten times greater than that of benzene, a known carcinogen linked to leukemia and other types of cancer.

This finding is just the beginning of a review process that could lead to the adoption of new risk values, coinciding with a period when federal air quality standards are being loosened.

“If early monitoring data confirms these findings and the proposed cancer values hold true in the final assessment, both contaminants will pose an unacceptable cancer threat,” stated Kris Thayer, the director of OEHHA.

The update highlights California’s changing perspective on its most hazardous pollutants. Over the years, the focus has shifted from visible pollutants like smog to those that are less visible yet contribute significantly to cancer, heart disease, and other health issues.

This announcement comes shortly after the Trump administration’s EPA attempted to reduce regulations concerning ethylene oxide, aimed at decreasing compliance costs for medical sterilization facilities. While they justified the move as a means to protect essential medical supplies, experts warn it could lead to increased health risks for the public.

Additionally, a national report by the American Lung Association found that an alarming 82% of Californians reside in areas with unhealthy air quality, which is nearly double the national average.

“This step is crucial for understanding how pollutants affect Californian health,” mentioned Will Barrett, assistant vice president for clean air policy at the American Lung Association. “It’s essential we align risk assessments with the most current health science.”

Ethylene oxide is a colorless gas primarily used for sterilizing medical devices that are incompatible with steam or radiation methods. Meanwhile, acrolein can be produced during the combustion of materials like cigarettes, wood, and gasoline. It’s also released during cooking processes involving fats and oils and is found in some pesticides.

To minimize exposure to acrolein in daily life, people can avoid smoking or vaping, steer clear of smoke from fires, and reduce contact with exhaust from vehicles. When cooking, using lower temperatures and a range hood can also be helpful.

While both of these chemicals have existed in California’s air for a long time, the current OEHHA assessments reflect new health risk information, indicating both acrolein and ethylene oxide might present a cancer risk greater than 800 in one million. This level of risk is comparable to what diesel exhaust posed when it first became a public health concern in the 1990s.

In light of these findings, Governor Gavin Newsom’s revised budget announced $2.5 million aimed at research by the California Air Resources Board and OEHHA to help lower exposure to these contaminants. This funding will support efforts to identify major sources and inform public health policies, officials explained.

This assessment marks the first cancer risk value for acrolein since it was labeled as “probably cancer-causing to humans” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer in 2020. Ethylene oxide was already recognized as a carcinogen, but this assessment refreshes its risk levels based on recent research. Risk calculations vary across California, influenced by specific locations and sources.

The findings further emphasize California’s commitment to enhancing environmental standards at a time when federal regulations are being weakened. Courtney Smith, principal deputy executive officer with the Air Resources Board, said, “With national rollbacks in public health protections, the importance of our work in California is clearer than ever. It’s vital for safeguarding the health of residents and ensuring solid scientific information is available for public policy.”

Short-term inhalation of ethylene oxide can lead to headaches, dizziness, nausea, and respiratory irritation, while long-term exposure raises the likelihood of white blood cell cancers like non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and breast cancer. Acrolein inhalation can irritate the nose and throat and reduce breathing rates, with chronic exposure linked to ailments like asthma and respiratory cancers.

California continues to struggle with poor air quality indices. The American Lung Association’s report indicated that the worst smog pollution in the U.S. is concentrated in California. Bakersfield has been marked as having the highest year-round particle pollution for seven consecutive years, while Los Angeles consistently ranks as having the worst ozone pollution.