Invisible Threat, Inequitable Impact
德克萨斯州有8个商业消毒器和一个与氮化氮相关的EtO排放设施. More than 1.100万德州人(约占该州人口的4%)居住在至少一个这些设施的5英里范围内(美国人口普查局2020年)。.
Two sterilizers—Sterigenics and Cosmed of Texas-在达拉斯和沃斯堡之间的大草原，相距不到一英里. More than 240,在这些设施的五英里范围内，至少有1000人，大约100所学校和托儿中心. 在这些设施方圆五英里内，近四分之三的人口是有色人种，比全县平均水平高出10%以上. 与全县相比，低收入人群和英语水平有限的人群也更加集中. The estimated air toxics cancer risk in the census tract with both facilities is 100 additional cases per 1 million people; EtO emissions contribute to roughly 79 percent of the overall cancer risk in this tract (AirToxScreen 2022).
五个商业消毒器在美国墨西哥边境的社区(拉雷多), Texas; El Paso, Texas; and San Diego, California), 主要影响拉丁裔和说西班牙语的人口. In Laredo, nearly 95 percent of the more than 83,居住在中西部消毒设施五英里范围内的5000人认为自己是有色人种. The estimated air toxics cancer risk in the census tract where this facility is located is 100 additional cases per 1 million people; EtO emissions contribute to roughly three-quarters of the overall cancer risk in this tract (AirToxScreen 2022).
For years, community members and advocates in the Clean Air Laredo Coalition 已经呼吁在中国进行监测和排放控制 Midwest Sterilization facility (Clean Air Laredo Coalition, n.d.; Collier and Miller 2021). 经过广泛的社区倡导，拉雷多市决定支付 installing 设施附近的空气监测仪(Collier and Miller 2022).
对边境社区的健康危害令人担忧. The estimated excess cancer risk from air toxics in these three communities ranges from 80 to 400 cases per 1 million (average of 154 additional cancer cases per million); EtO emissions contribute to nearly three-quarters of the total cancer risk on average (AirToxScreen 2022).
El Paso has another sterilizer hotspot, with Steris Isomedix 和Dynatec617888九五至尊娱乐实验室相距不到两英里. 在这些设施方圆五英里的范围内，超过90%的人认为自己是有色人种. Another Sterigenics 商业消毒器就在德克萨斯州边境对面的新墨西哥州的圣特蕾莎.