Who Is Sterigenics?
Sterigenics International is the largest commercial medical device sterilization company in the world, operating over 50 facilities across North America and Europe. It was acquired by private equity firm Warburg Pincus and merged with Sotera Health in 2015. Sterigenics sterilizes single-use medical devices — syringes, surgical tools, implants — using ethylene oxide gas, which is highly effective at killing pathogens but toxic to surrounding communities.
The Willowbrook, Illinois Crisis
The Sterigenics facility in Willowbrook, Illinois became a national flashpoint in 2018 when EPA data revealed that cancer risks in surrounding neighborhoods were up to nine times the national average. The facility had operated in the residential community since 1984. Illinois ordered the facility closed in 2019 after community outcry. Hundreds of lawsuits were filed in Cook County by residents who developed lymphoma, breast cancer, and other cancers. Over $408 million in settlements has been reached in the Illinois cases.
The Smyrna, Georgia Verdict
Sterigenics also operated a facility in Smyrna, Georgia. Community health data showed elevated cancer rates in surrounding neighborhoods. In September 2023, a Cobb County jury awarded $363 million to a local woman who developed breast cancer. The verdict included punitive damages, reflecting the jury's finding that Sterigenics knew about the cancer risk and failed to adequately protect the community.
The Sotera Health Financial Impact
Sterigenics's parent company, Sotera Health (NASDAQ: SHC), went public in 2020 and has faced significant financial and stock market pressure from the ongoing litigation. The company has set aside hundreds of millions in litigation reserves. The cumulative financial exposure has raised questions about the company's long-term viability without a comprehensive litigation resolution.
Brand Names & Products
Data & Statistics
$363M
Cobb County, GA jury verdict (2023)
$408M+
Cook County, IL settlements total
50+
Sterigenics facilities in North America
Scientific Evidence
Ethylene Oxide and Risk of Lymphoid Cancers: A Meta-Analysis of Occupational Cohort Studies
Steenland K, Whelan E, Deddens J, Stayner L, Ward E (2020). Occupational and Environmental Medicine
Key Findings
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma risk was elevated 56% in highest-exposure workers (RR 1.56, 95% CI 1.18-2.06)
- Lymphocytic leukemia risk was elevated 88% in highest-exposure workers
- A clear dose-response relationship was observed across all lymphoid cancer categories
- Risk estimates were consistent with EPA's 2016 carcinogenicity assessment
- Authors concluded that the evidence was sufficient to establish causation for lymphoid cancers
Breast Cancer Risk and Ethylene Oxide Exposure: Evidence from the NIOSH Cohort
Steenland K, Stayner L, Greife A, et al. (2019). American Journal of Epidemiology
Key Findings
- Breast cancer mortality was significantly elevated among female EtO workers (SMR 1.41, 95% CI 1.05-1.86)
- Risk increased with duration of employment and estimated cumulative EtO exposure
- The association was specific to breast cancer and not explained by confounding from other occupational exposures
- These findings supported the EPA's 2016 decision to add breast cancer to the EtO cancer risk assessment
- Findings are directly relevant to claims by women who lived near EtO facilities
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Pages
Lymphoma from EtO Exposure
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is the most strongly linked cancer to ethylene oxide exposure, with studies showing elevated rates of lymphoid cancers in both facility workers and nearby community members.
Trump ETO Regulatory Rollback
On July 17, 2025, President Trump issued a proclamation invoking Clean Air Act §112(i)(4) to grant 41 ethylene oxide sterilization facilities a 2-year delay in complying with the EPA's 2024 NESHAP emission standards. The exemption benefits Sterigenics, Covidien/Medtronic, Cosmed, and other operators at the expense of community health. While the rollback undermines regulatory negligence claims, it strengthens arguments for willful disregard and punitive damages.
Breast Cancer & Ethylene Oxide
Breast cancer linked to EtO exposure was at the center of the landmark $363 million Sterigenics verdict in Georgia — the first major EtO trial to produce a jury verdict.
Facility Worker Exposure Claims
Workers inside EtO sterilization and chemical manufacturing facilities face the highest exposure levels — often hundreds of times greater than community ambient levels — and have the strongest causation cases.
EtO Warehouse Off-Gassing Claims
Ethylene oxide off-gasses from sterilized medical devices stored in warehouses operated by BD, Medline, and other manufacturers. Unlike sterilization facilities, warehouses are not regulated under EPA NESHAP, creating a regulatory gap that leaves nearby communities exposed without monitoring, scrubbers, or fenceline tracking. Emerging class action theories target this unregulated pathway.
Ethylene Oxide Lawsuit
Ethylene oxide (EtO) is a highly toxic chemical used to sterilize medical equipment and manufacture other chemicals. The EPA determined in 2016 that EtO is carcinogenic to humans at exposure levels far lower than previously thought. Residents living near EtO-emitting facilities in Georgia, Illinois, Texas, Colorado, and other states have filed lawsuits alleging their cancers — including lymphoma, breast cancer, and leukemia — were caused by chronic exposure to EtO emissions.
View full case overview