May 22, 2023 (Pittsburgh, PA) - In April 2023, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued proposed regulations that would set a new occupational ceiling for EtO exposure within a sterilization workplace of 10 ppb, above which respiratory protection must be worn by workers. The EPA has set a limit of 60 days for public comment on these proposed regulations. Following this comment period, the draft regulations may be different from the initial proposal after the EPA has considered input from experts across the industry. There are several steps to go before the EPA issues the final regulations, and the time before issuance is very uncertain, ranging from months to years. Once issued, the industry will have a period of time to implement changes to meet the new regulations.

ChemDAQ takes pride in our collaboration and partnership with the medical device sterilization industry, and we are committed to providing the best sensor technology available, including the lowest detection limit and specificity possible. ChemDAQ is continuously improving our sensor performance, and when our latest sensor technology is available, our customers automatically receive these improvements as part of our Sensor Exchange Program (SXP®). 

ChemDAQ is currently working on developing a new sensor for EtO with a lower detection limit so that we can accurately, consistently and reliably detect EtO consistent with new regulations. We intend to complete the new sensor development, including all the necessary agency approvals, in time for the medical device sterilization industry to ensure compliance with these new regulations. 

- Richard Warburton, Ph.D. | CTO & General Counsel

About ChemDAQ 

ChemDAQ was originally founded to protect workers from over-exposure to EtO gas in hospitals, and we are now the leading EtO monitoring provider in the healthcare and medical device sterilization industries. Our current systems were designed to provide state of the art monitoring to OSHA's permissible exposure limits, and EtO monitoring continues to be an important part of our business. As regulations continue to evolve, our mission remains to empower customers to eliminate workplace exposure to toxic chemicals through innovative monitoring and control solutions, industry leading partnerships, and superior safety expertise. Learn more at ChemDAQ.com or follow us on LinkedIn.