Researchers at two universities have said there are “elevated levels” of what they call a “chemical of concern” near the Norfolk Southern disaster in eastern Palestine, Ohio.
A mobile lab run by scientists from Texas A&M University and Carnegie Mellon University has detected a chemical called acrolein in the air after the catastrophic train derailment.
The analysis dates from February 20 and 21, less than three weeks after the crash, and was taken from the air, groundwater and local residents’ homes. After being cleared to return, some residents told they are still feeling the effects of the toxic runoff, including skin rashes, shortness of breath, headaches and more.
The EPA told locals it was fine to return home shortly after the derailment and controlled burn.
The derailment of the Norfolk-Southern train a month ago in the city of eastern Palestine caused a massive fire and resulted in the evacuation of thousands of residents as hazardous materials were released into the air, soil and nearby surface water.
Researchers at two universities have said there are “elevated levels” of what they call a “chemical of concern” near the Norfolk Southern disaster in eastern Palestine, Ohio
Acrolein has been calculated to be the top concern for residents, researchers from Texas A&M and Carnegie Mellon University found, according to CNN.
According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, acrolein is either a clear, colorless gas or a pale yellow, strong-smelling liquid.
It evaporates easily at normal temperatures, producing toxic concentrations.
It is toxic regardless of the route of exposure. It causes inflammation and irritation of the skin, respiratory tract and mucous membranes.
Delayed pulmonary edema – excess fluid in the lungs – can occur after inhalation.
This can lead to coughing, chest pain, and fatigue.
It is formed when fossil fuels are burned and is also a by-product of fires.
The other eight chemicals found at higher than normal average levels are: benzene, vinyl chloride, butadiene, naphthalene, o-xylene, trichloroethylene, trichloroethane, and butadiene.
A mobile lab run by scientists from Texas A&M University and Carnegie Mellon University has detected a chemical called acrolein in the air after the catastrophic train derailment
“We didn’t see any hotspots, which I think is probably a positive,” said Albert Presto, associate research professor of mechanical engineering at Carnegie Mellon’s Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation, who works on the university’s chemical surveillance in East Palestine. “I would say that more research and more sampling is needed” given the potential risks, particularly from the chemical acrolein.
Vinyl chloride is a colorless, man-made gas that burns easily.
It is primarily used to make polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a hard plastic resin used to make plastic products such as tubing and the outer sheaths of wire and cable.
PVC is not known or suspected to cause cancer, but vinyl chloride is associated with a higher risk of a rare form of liver cancer (hepatic angiosarcoma), as well as primary liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma), brain and lung cancer, lymphoma, and leukemia.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) lists vinyl chloride as a human carcinogen, meaning there is ample scientific evidence that it causes cancer in humans.
People who are exposed to vinyl chloride for many years are likely to develop liver damage and cancer.
It most likely enters the body through inhalation, but can also be ingested through contaminated drinking water.
The chemical travels through the body via the blood and liver, breaking it down into other chemicals, some of which can be more harmful than the vinyl chloride itself.
According to the CDC, the gas has a faint sweetish odor, but the threshold at which it smells is “too high to provide a reasonable warning of dangerous levels.”
This means people can be over-exposed to it without even realizing it’s in the air.
A five-minute exposure to more than twice the amount that can be smelled can cause dizziness.
At five times the concentration, exposure can cause drowsiness, loss of coordination, vision and hearing problems, disorientation, nausea, headache, and burning or tingling in the arms and legs.
Prolonged exposure can be fatal as the central nervous system shuts down. The gas is also found in tobacco smoke.
When burned or heated to a sufficiently high temperature, the gas turns into hydrogen chloride, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and traces of phosgene.
Other symptoms and still-visible effects reported by local residents include citizens who say they have been coughing up blood, with fish and livestock seen dying 20 miles away.
To address concerns, the US Environmental Protection Agency will ask Norfolk Southern to test dioxin levels, although the agency says its analysis indicates the chances of the pollutants being present following the accident are slim.
In addition to the unconfirmed sick leave, the derailment promptly pushed the topic of rail safety to the forefront of public discussion, as did federal questions about the regulations relating to the transport of dangerous goods.
On Wednesday, a bipartisan group of senators introduced a new national bill to tighten rail safety regulations.
The proposed directive, dubbed the “Railway Safety Act 2023,” includes a number of provisions to improve safety procedures to prevent future incidents, including “new safety requirements and procedures for trains carrying hazardous materials such as vinyl chloride,” a requirement for advance notice the railways to tell rescue workers what their trains carry.
The Biden administration has been accused of being indifferent to the plight of the small Ohio community, where residents are reporting worrying symptoms
It also addresses the risk of wheel bearing failures with increased detection and inspection, and requires “well-trained crews of two on board each train”.
Overall, about half of eastern Palestine’s more than 4,700 residents were evacuated as hazardous chemicals quickly flooded the air, soil and water near the small town.
Workers helping to clean up toxic materials at an Ohio train derailment are suffering from migraines and nausea, leaders of the country’s largest railroad unions have revealed.
The revelation came on Wednesday in the form of a letter from union leaders to the White House and the Ohio governor, alleging workers may have been exposed voluntarily to harmful chemicals on instructions from Norfolk Southern, the company that owns the derailed freighter .
Within hours, the letter prompted a meeting between union leaders and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg in Washington on Wednesday to discuss the Feb. 3 derailment – and its potential impact.
Officials confirmed Thursday that the meeting focused on possible railroad safety improvements, as well as the 40 workers who were dispatched to the clean-up site in eastern Palestine, Ohio, last month and their above-mentioned symptoms.
Meanwhile, Norfolk Southern remains under close scrutiny over the incident. The company’s CEO, Alan Shaw, is poised to testify before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee next week amid calls for renewed railroad safety regulations.
The Biden administration has been criticized in particular by the Republican opposition for its handling of the gaffe.
Meanwhile, several residents in eastern Palestine have reported going to the hospital with rashes after the burial.
Addison Paparella, 15, was hospitalized two weeks ago after finding herself with a tight chest and irritated lungs “due to chemical exposure”.
Her mother is now one of several residents of the small village asking President Joe Biden to send medical aid to the community.
A once-healthy teenager, Addison now has to use an inhaler, having never returned one every day in her life.
“We took her to the hospital, they gave her respiratory treatment,” her mother, Heidi Paparella, told
“They said her lungs were tight, narrowed and irritated from exposure to the chemicals,” the concerned mother of five explained. “So they gave her a steroid and now she’s on an inhaler.”
“This kid has been doing competition cheering and dancing since she was six and she’s wrestling here and she’s never needed an inhaler in her life. And now she’s stuck on an inhaler that’s not helping her,” Paparella added, fighting back tears.
The rash and shortness of breath began for both Heidi and Addison when they returned to East Palestine the day after the evacuation was lifted and the all-clear was given that it was safe to return to their homes.
A huge plume of smoke from the aftermath of the incident could be seen for miles on February 6, days after the crash
“I think they should provide us with some doctors and scientists for the environment that aren’t getting paid, or by the railroad,” Paparella said. “Someone who can come and help us medically first of all.”
While there is a free clinic, Paparella says they cannot help residents and cannot prescribe them any medication or treatments.
“The people they have here now — there’s a free clinic — aren’t treating anyone,” she said. “I think they’re here for research, honestly.”
“They’re basically just judging people,” Paparella explained. “They can’t prescribe drugs, they can’t do things like a hospital. I feel like we need specialists…People from the big hospitals might be able to come and help us.”
As of last week, the EPA had analyzed the air in 578 homes and said chemical pollution was not above residential air quality standards.
Ayla Antoniazzi told CNN, “I have allowed my four-year-old to return to preschool, which is located at East Palestine Elementary School. She went back for two days and got another rash on her hands and started complaining about itching so I pulled her out again.