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On Thursday, the Environmental Protection Agency finalized limits on a carcinogenic gas called ethylene oxide that is used to sterilize most medical devices. Sterilizing facilities had polluted the air unchecked for decades, leading to disproportionately high cancer risks in surrounding communities. (Lawrence, 3/14)

All three of Ashley Gaignard’s children were born preterm and at low birth weights. It was a fact that Gaignard didn’t think about much at the time — her children are now in their twenties — because it felt so common among her friends and family. (Kutz, 3/14)

The emissions include particulate matter — microscopic particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs and cause irregular heartbeats, aggravate asthma and other respiratory ailments — which some scientists call the deadliest form of air pollution. A recent air quality analysis by Air Alliance Houston using industry emissions data submitted to the state found a higher annual average concentration of particulate matter the closer people live to the Ship Channel. The plants also spew cancer-causing chemicals like benzene that can irritate the throat and eyes when large amounts are inhaled. (Martinez and Perez, 3/14)

Legionnaire's disease (LD) cases rose ninefold between 2000 and 2018, and the reasons for the dramatic global rise have been a scientific mystery. This week, a research team proposed a surprising factor: a drop in air pollution. The study shedding new light on LD cases comes amid new data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showing that Legionella-related outbreaks were the leading cause of drinking water–related outbreaks from 2015 to 2020. (Schnirring, 3/14)