Headline:
Puerto Rican Community Grapples with Decades-Long Poisoning by Invisible Toxic Chemical
Lead Paragraph:
For over two decades, an invisible toxic chemical has been silently afflicting the residents of Salinas, Puerto Rico, casting a shadow over their health and daily lives. The culprit, ethylene oxide, has left a trail of suffering and unanswered questions, as one industrial worker’s harrowing experience reveals.
Body:
In the heart of Salinas, Puerto Rico, the sweet scent of a chemical compound belies a dark reality. Ethylene oxide, a gas known for its ability to sterilize medical devices without damaging them, has become a silent threat to the health of the local community.
Henry Morales, a former operator technician at Steri-Tech, a company specializing in the sterilization of medical supplies, knows this all too well. Over 20 years ago, a single exposure to the gas left him hospitalized and grappling with lasting health issues. The incident began like any other day on the job, but the consequences have been anything but ordinary.
On that fateful day, Morales and his colleagues removed a pallet of sterilized equipment from the chamber and, following protocol, removed their gas masks. It was then that Morales noticed a missing vial of biological material. In his quest to verify that the box was properly sterilized, he opened it, releasing a sweet-smelling gas that would change his life forever.
The scent he described as dulce — sweet — is a stark contrast to the toxic reality of ethylene oxide. For Morales, the effects were immediate and severe, leaving him with a memory that returns in blurry snapshots more than two decades later.
The story of Henry Morales is not an isolated one. The residents of Salinas have been exposed to this invisible threat for decades, with many searching for answers and accountability. The presence of ethylene oxide in the community has raised concerns about long-term health effects, including cancer and neurological damage.
This ongoing tragedy has caught the attention of investigative journalists and environmental organizations, who are working to shine a light on the issue. Supported by the Fund for Investigative Journalism, this collaborative effort between Grist and el Centro de Periodismo Investigativo aims to uncover the truth and advocate for justice for the affected community.
As the investigation unfolds, the people of Salinas hold out hope that their voices will be heard and that measures will be taken to protect them from this unseen poison that has plagued their lives for far too long.
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