Clean-room chemicals may have caused birth defects

2010-02-09 04:17:40 (GMT) (JusticeNewsFlash.com - Justice News Flash, Personal Injury)

Legal news for Arizona personal injury attorneys. Ethylene Glycol Ether may be causing birth defects in children of chip making employees.

Arizona Personal injury lawyer alert—Employees who have worked at chip manufacturers are linking birth defects in their children with Ethylene Glycol Ether.

Phoenix, AZ—Across the valley dozens of families believe the reason their children have severe birth defects is because of a chemical called Ethylene Glycol Ether. The parents of the children all worked in “clean rooms,” which is used in chip manufacturing at Motorola from the late-1970s through the late-1990s, as reported KPHO.

Ethylene Glycol Ether is a chemical that was routinely used in the chip making process until the mid-1990s. According to other lawsuits against IBM, which 5 Investigates uncovered, revealed that the chip manufacturer was aware for years that there was a possible connection between Ethylene Glycol Ether and the health of their worker’s offspring. One Motorola employee has two daughters with severe birth defects; one with Cerebral Palsy. Another employee’s son was born with epilepsy and severe vision and speech problems.

The company that makes Ethylene Glycol Ether, Union Carbide, issued a warning in 1981 about the possible miscarriages and birth defects. The California Department of Health Services issued a Hazard Alert in 1982 that testing has shown the chemical causes birth defects. The Semiconductor Industry Association also issued warning in 1982. In 1987, 1989, and 1993 more warnings about the chemical were issued, but officials believe Ethylene Glycol Ether continued to be used into the 1990s. A former employee of Intel, stated he never saw a warning about birth defects that was issued to employees.

Raising a child with severe birth defects and even adults with disabilities can cost caretakers anywhere from a couple thousands dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

Legal News Reporter: Nicole Howley-Legal news for Arizona personal injury lawyers.