Montrose Environmental Group, Inc. announced a global collaboration with Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (Thermo Fisher) to provide a comprehensive real-time ethylene oxide (EtO) monitoring solution that meets recently released U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations. Ethylene oxide is a carcinogenic and mutagenic compound commonly used in the chemical industry, particularly as a sterilant for medical products and as a reaction intermediate in the production of ethylene glycol. Due to its toxicity, federal, state and local regulators require monitoring for very low levels of EtO in and around commercial sterilizers and chemical plants.

The EPA has recently issued three focused proposals addressing the reduction of EtO emissions from chemical plants and commercial sterilizers, thereby reducing risk to workers, the broader community, and the environment. Working together, Montrose and Thermo Fisher offer medical device manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, chemical companies, and commercial sterilization service providers, a comprehensive solution to achieve compliance with the EPA's new ethylene oxide regulations. Together, the companies combine Montrose's expert field services and data platform (SensibleEDP™) with the proven ambient air monitoring (MAX-iQ) and emissions monitoring (EMS-10) systems of Thermo Fisher.

The MAX-iQ and EMS-10 systems, combined with the system design, installation, operations, software, geographic footprint, and maintenance expertise of Montrose, allow for monitoring low-level EtO emissions at a detection limit of 1 ppb, which exceeds the current EPA EtO standards.