Hydrogen Peroxide Safety: What SPD Leaders Need to Know Now - USA - ASP Learning Lab
Hydrogen Peroxide Safety: What SPD Leaders Need to Know Now

Hydrogen Peroxide Safety: What SPD Leaders Need to Know Now

Ivan S. Salgo M.D., M.S., M.B.A., Richard Warburton Ph.D., J.D.

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Hydrogen peroxide has long been trusted for its sterilization power, but new findings show that short-term exposure risks may be under-recognized.

These white papers provide a scientific, practical review of exposure risk and emissions management to help sterile processing and infection prevention leaders create a safer, more consistent approach to hydrogen peroxide vapor safety for their teams.

Why this matters now?

  • Safety standards are evolving to address short-term exposure risk
  • Monitoring and control strategies are becoming more important where exposure may occur
  • Hospitals that proactively evaluate and manage emissions can better support staff safety and readiness
  • Part 1: Understanding hydrogen peroxide exposure risk

    Part 1: Understanding hydrogen peroxide exposure risk

    Inside you’ll learn:

    • Why outdated hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) exposure limits may not adequately protect staff
    • What happens when sterilizer doors open — short-term spikes up to 40 ppm
    • How odorless hydrogen peroxide can create hidden risks
    • Why global STEL regulations are shifting — and what they mean for your organization
    • How vH₂O₂ + plasma technology helps reduce exposure during sterilizer door opening
  • Part 2: Managing peak hydrogen peroxide emissions

    Part 2: Managing peak hydrogen peroxide emissions

    Inside you’ll learn:

    • Why hydrogen peroxide emissions are peak-driven
    • The limitations of relying on 8-hour averages alone
    • Why “wait to vent” is a workaround—not a sustainable control
    • How continuous monitoring supports visibility and trending
    • How plasma technology helps reduce residual hydrogen peroxide before door opening
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Authors

  • Ivan S. Salgo

    Ivan S. Salgo

    M.D., M.S., M.B.A.

    Vice President, Chief Medical and Scientific Officer, ASP

  • Richard Warburton

    Richard Warburton

    Ph.D., J.D.

    CTO and General Counsel, ChemDAQ Incorporated

Helpful white-papers

References

PART 1

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PART 2

  1. ATSDR (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry). Medical Management Guidelines for Hydrogen Peroxide. US Department of Health and Human Services, 2014.

  2. Cornelia R, Warburton PR. Assessing hydrogen peroxide vapor exposure from hospital sterilizers. J Occup Environ Hyg. 2017;14(9):D150–D157.

  3. Dumas O, Varraso R, Boggs KM, et al. Association of Occupational Exposure to Disinfectants With Incidence of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Among US Female Nurses. JAMA Netw Open. 2019;2(10):e1913563.

  4. UK Health Security Agency. Hydrogen peroxide: toxicological overview.

  5. Memarzadeh F, Shamie N, Gaster RN, Chuck RS. Corneal and conjunctival toxicity from hydrogen peroxide. Ophthalmology. 2004;111(8):1546-1549.

  6. Mucci N, Dugheri S, Bonari A, et al. Health risk assessment related to hydrogen peroxide presence in the workplace atmosphere. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2020;33(2):137–150.

  7. ANSI/AAMI ST58:2024—Chemical Sterilization and High-Level Disinfection in Health Care Facilities. Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, 2024.

  8. (SCCP), S. C. on C. P. (2007). Opinion on hydrogen peroxide, in its free form or when released, in oral hygiene products and tooth whitening products. European Commission – Health & Consumer Protection DirectorateGeneral. https://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_risk/committees/04_sccp/docs/sccp_o_122.pdf

  9. OSHA. (n.d.). Permissible Exposure Limits – Annotated Tables. Retrieved August 4, 2026, from https://www.osha.gov/annotated-pels

  10. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Hazard Communication Standard. 29 CFR 1910.1200. US Department of Labor.

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  12. Wang, Q., Chen, L., Ding, R., & Yin, X. (2026). Theoretical insights into the hydrogen peroxide oxidation and reduction reactions on low-index Pt surfaces. Journal of Fuel Chemistry and Technology, 54(1), 20250142. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1872-5813(25)60594-9

  13. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 2024. Transcript for Medical Device Sterilization Town Hall: Discussion of Premarket Submission Expectations and Additional Considerations for Sterility Review, February 7, 2024 [Internet]. Silver Spring (MD): FDA; [accessed 2026 May 13]. Available from: https://www.fda.gov/media/176351/download

  14. Rutala WA, Gergen MF, Sickbert-Bennett EE, Weber DJ. Comparative evaluation of the microbicidal activity of low-temperature sterilization technologies to steam sterilization. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2020 Apr;41(4):391-395. doi: 10.1017/ice.2020.2. Epub 2020 Feb 26. PMID: 32098638.

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