Ever Wonder How Medical Equitpment Is Sanatized After Use?

Have you ever wonder sitting in dentist’s chair how the equipment going from your mouth to the next mouth maybe sanitized or even if it is sanitized?   

Figure 1: An assortment of dentistry tools. Source:  https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1126242 (accessed Feb 22th, 2018). 

Well look not further, the sterilization of medical equipment including surgical devices, dental equipment, and edible items such as spices is done through a colorless, odorless, flammable gas at room temperature known as Ethylene Oxide C2H4O (3).

 

What is it?

 

Ethylene Oxide is a type of flammable and explosive gas that is used for the sterilization of medical equipment and devices. Also known as EO and ETO it should never be eaten or smelled even though it has a sweet pleasing scent. As it causes a sore throat, coughing, difficulty breathing, blurred vision, headaches, and vomiting (4). Ethylene oxide comes from the industry producing and using it. Smaller amounts are released naturally from volcanoes and from living organisms (2). Typically, individuals working with Ethylene oxide are more commonly exposed to it, these include health care workers such as nurse’s physicians in hospitals, and clinics.

 

How does it work?  

The way in which Ethylene Oxide works is it kills off microbes through a reaction known as alkylation, in this process a hydrogen atom is replaced with an alkyl group. Ethylene oxide gas is pumped into an airtight chamber to sterilize whatever is inside, following the treatment the material being sterilized is aerated out to get rid of any excess gas (5).  From bacteria, viruses, fungi, insects, other organisms all life forms are killed quickly in the gas chamber. Ethylene oxide alters proteins in their cells which are essential for life which permanently mutates their DNA therefore, are unable to survive (4).  

The benefits of using Ethylene Oxide 

First off Ethylene Oxide it is a sterilant meaning it is something that kills every living microbe, including very difficult to kill bacterial spores (3).  Secondly, it can be used to sterilize equipment that is heat-sensitive as it uses lower temperatures so it is able to safely sterilize heat-sensitive equipment, and moisture-sensitive equipment (1).

 

The dangers of eating food sanitized with Ethylene Oxide

Even though when used on items at room temperature and above there is still a non-volatile residue which gets left behind that is not good for you. Given the dangers of this residue from EO gas, foods that have been treated by it must be allowed to aerate for a period following fumigation, which typically is up to 24 hours. Even after the period, some residue may still be left behind, so it is very important to try to avoid edibles that have been sanitized with EO as they ate harmful to health (4).

 

References

(1) National Institutes of Health. (2015). Ethylene Oxide. Retrieved February 22, 2018, from https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/ethylene-oxide

(2) Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory. (n.d.). Ethylene oxide. Retrieved February 22, 2018, http://apps.sepa.org.uk/spripa/pages/substanceinformation.aspx?pid=56

(3) Royal Society of Chemistry. (2015). Ethylene oxide. Received February 22, 2018, from http://www.chemspider.com/Chemical-Structure.6114.html

(4) Superfoodly. (2017). Ethylene Oxide Sterilization: Are ETO Treated Spices Safe? Retrieved February 22, 2018, from https://www.superfoodly.com/ethylene-oxide-sterilization-non-eto-spices/

(5) Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety. (2018). Ethylene Oxide. Retrieved February 22, 2018, from http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/chem_profiles/ethylene_oxide.html