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Yes. Early life exposure is important for environmental health researchers for two reasons: children’s bodies are still developing, which can make them more susceptible to environmental contaminants, and they have more years ahead for a disease to develop after exposure. The NIEHS notes that children also breathe more air relative to their body weight than adults, which can increase the dose of airborne contaminants they absorb over time.
Cancer often has a long latency period, meaning many years or even decades can pass between exposure to a carcinogen and a diagnosis. The EPA classifies ethylene oxide as a human carcinogen and evaluates cancer risk based on long-term lifetime exposure precisely because the effects may not become apparent for many years.
Past exposure can still matter even if you no longer live near the facility. Public health researchers routinely look at residential histories because where someone lived during childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood can factor into their overall exposure history. Research also suggests that certain periods of breast development, including puberty and early adulthood, may be especially sensitive to environmental influences.
One of the core missions of the NIEHS Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Program is examining how exposures during these windows of development may shape breast cancer risk later in life.
If you were diagnosed with breast cancer and lived near an ethylene oxide facility at any point in your life, including during childhood, ELG Law can review your residential and medical history to determine whether you may have a claim. Contact ELG Law for a free case evaluation.