BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) Ethylene Oxide

Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) is globally known for producing medical equipment, instruments, and reagents. Their sterilization facility in Georgia has faced complaints and lawsuits over the use of ethylene oxide (EtO) gas to sterilize its products. While the company states that there is no alternative to using the cancer-causing gas to sterilize medical products, the health of workers and nearby residents has been potentially compromised. Hundreds of lawsuits have since been filed by Georgia residents. You can also file an ethylene oxide claim against BD if you have been diagnosed with cancer after working at BD’s sterilization facility or residing within four miles of it.

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A short history of Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) and ethylene oxide emissions

BD operates a sterilization facility in Covington, Georgia. Each year, the plant produces millions of medical supplies, including catheters, biopsy needles, feeding tubes, and more. The company has stated that, for many of their sensitive medical equipment, EtO is the only type of sterilizing agent viable. However, long-term emissions of the colorless EtO gas have put the health of workers and residents at risk for decades without their knowledge.

The area around BD’s facility has been identified to have potentially elevated cancer risk from continuous EtO emissions over 70 years. Data was based on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s National Air Toxics Assessment report in 2018. More than 100 other areas in the country were identified with elevated risks from ethylene oxide. In Covington alone, for every million people exposed to the gas, 170 of 214 cancer cases will be caused by the exposure.

Ethylene oxide claims and lawsuits against BD

Over a hundred lawsuits have been filed against BD over ethylene oxide gas. In May 2025, a 75-year-old who was regularly exposed to the BD facility due to his work and residence was awarded $20 million in compensatory damages against BD. The plaintiff was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2017.

Other types of cancer have also been strongly linked to ethylene oxide exposure, including leukemia, multiple myeloma, liver cancer, and lung cancer. Breast cancer has also been linked to EtO exposure, and breast cancer diagnosis has been recorded among Covington residents as young as 29 years of age.

File an ethylene oxide exposure claim against BD

Workers and nearby residents of the BD facility in Covington can file an ethylene oxide exposure claim for any of the medical conditions mentioned above. Our attorneys are ready to help you through the process and evaluate your documents, which include medical documents and employment records (for workers) or proof of residence within four miles of the facility (for nearby residents). Contact ELG Law to start your filing process.