Cancer Alley: Louisiana Toxic Gas Ethylene Oxide Can 'Directly Damage DNA' and Threaten Public Health, Especially Infants and Children [Study]

A toxic gas called ethylene oxide was found on high levels in parts of Louisiana, United States, according to a study by the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) in Baltimore, Maryland. On Tuesday, June 11, research findings reveal an unprecedented degree of air pollution in the state's so-called "Cancer Alley," an area that stretches for 85 miles along the Mississippi River from New Orleans to Baton Rouge.

The organic compound poses a threat to public health, wherein infants and children are especially at risk since the industrial air pollutant can also cause permanent DNA damage, according to the JHU research. The new recording of the gas' toxic level is greater than previous estimates conducted by the US Government's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which was already aware of the toxic gas.

Anthropogenic industrial air pollution is prevalent in some areas with a high number of facilities that operate on fossil fuels and petrochemicals. These pollutants also come from other sectors, including transport, agriculture, and mining. However, in the case of the Louisiana Cancer Alley, more than 200 petrochemical plants and refineries have caused large-scale environmental pollution that not only affects humans.

Toxic Gas Ethylene Oxide

In its media release on Tuesday, the JHU described "surprisingly" high levels of ethylene oxide in some parts of Louisiana's Cancer Alley, greater than previously thought. The toxic gas was detected by using a sophisticated mobile air-testing lab. The study, which was conducted by the institution's engineers, suggests that people who live near facilities with the toxic gas have higher risks of developing cancer.

Being an anthropogenic or man-made gas, ethylene oxide is widely used for various purposes, including the manufacturing of other chemicals and sterilization of food production, medical equipment. Following the discovery, the JHU recommends the need for conducting improved testing and accuracy when it comes to identifying the levels and affected locations of the harmful toxic gas.

Louisiana Cancer Alley

Earlier in 2024, Human Rights Watch reported that the Louisiana Cancer Alley has led to residents suffering from "extreme pollution" caused by the area's fossil fuel and petrochemical industry. Prior to the JHU study, the said non-government organization, based in New York City, already highlighted the pollution's health risks like cancer, respiratory ailments, and reproductive problems.

According to Antonia Juhasz, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, the said industry has paved the way for a "sacrifice zone" in Louisiana. Juhasz attributed the failure to control and regulate the industry from state and federal authorities, as cited by the organization's news release in January 2024.

The local health crisis in Louisiana caused by air pollution remains a serious environmental and public health issue as of early June 2024. In recent years, the issue also caught the attention of the United Nations, which discussed about the industrial projects along Louisiana's Cancer Alley.