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‘Dulce’: How a Sweet-Smelling Chemical Upended Life in Salinas, Puerto Rico

Summary

In Salinas, Puerto Rico, the Steri-Tech medical sterilization plant has exposed workers and residents to dangerous levels of ethylene oxide, a toxic gas used to sterilize medical devices. Henry Morales, a former worker at the plant, suffered severe neurological damage after inhaling the chemical in 2003. Subsequent EPA studies revealed that the facility emitted ethylene oxide at levels over 1,000 times above federal safety thresholds, posing significant cancer risks. Despite new regulations and local outcry, the facility’s hazardous practices continue, highlighting systemic regulatory failures and the community's ongoing health struggles.

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