RoseyFields conducted an environmental exposure assessment involving ethylene oxide emissions from industrial chemical manufacturing operations and sterilization-related facilities. We evaluated ethylene oxide as a hazardous air pollutant released through point sources, fugitive equipment leaks, ventilation systems, and process-related emissions. The project required review of facility emissions data, source characteristics, historical operations, and available regulatory records to develop a technically supportable understanding of potential off-site air impacts.
Our team performed air dispersion modeling, emissions characterization, source-term development, meteorological and terrain data evaluation, and inhalation exposure assessment to estimate ambient ethylene oxide concentrations in surrounding areas. We evaluated stack and fugitive releases, facility-specific emission scenarios, long-term exposure pathways, and cancer risk using established environmental risk assessment methods. The work also included comparison of alternative modeling approaches, sensitivity analyses, and review of emission control technologies relevant to ethylene oxide reduction.
RoseyFields identified and characterized a potential affected population by evaluating the relationship between modeled air concentrations, facility emission patterns, and nearby locations where people could experience repeated inhalation exposure. The assessment focused on defining exposure zones, estimating cumulative risk contributions from multiple emission sources, and distinguishing facility-related impacts from broader background conditions. This approach supports environmental forensics, community exposure evaluation, and risk-based decision-making for complex air toxics projects involving industrial and sterilization-related emissions.
