Abstract: A process is provided for removing hydrogen peroxide and oil out the exhaust gas emitted from a sterilization chamber, such as from a STERRAD® medical instrument sterilizer. The exhaust gas is passed through either alumina or a mass of metal wool, which sorbs the lubricating oil out of the exhaust gas, and then through alumina coated with a precious metal catalyst, such as Pd, Pt, Rh and alloys and compounds thereof, which decomposes the hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. The precious metal coating on the alumina may be sufficiently discontinuous to allow residual lubricating oil in the exhaust gas to be sorbed into the alumina.