On February 3, 2023, a train carrying chemicals jumped the tracks in East Palestine, Ohio, destroying a vehicle carrying hazardous materials and starting a chemical fire in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.
disaster attracted worldwide attention as governor of ohio and pennsylvania prompted 1 mile evacuation around the grounds. Flames and smoke rose from the burning chemicals, and chemicals wafted into the air from the derailment site, creating a pungent odor as they leaked into nearby streams.
3 days later Railway company’s reminderSouth Norfolk, approximately £1m vinyl chloridea chemical that could be toxic to humans in high doses was released from a damaged vehicle that burst into flames.
Federal investigators later concluded that burning and the resulting black mushroom cloud were to blame. It was unnecessarybut it was too late. Chemicals for railway vehicles spread to Ohio and Pennsylvania.
as environmental engineerMy colleagues and I are often asked by government agencies and communities to help make public health decisions after disasters. After the evacuation order was lifted, local residents called for help.
in new researchNow, we’ll describe the contamination we found and discuss the response and cleanup issues that, in some cases, increase the potential for people to be exposed to dangerous chemicals. This provides important lessons to better protect our communities in the future.
How do chemicals get into your home and water?
when large amounts of chemicals are released If released into the environment, the air can become toxic. Chemicals are also drain into waterways and penetrate the groundcontaminate groundwater and wells. Some chemicals can enter nearby buildings from underground, make indoor air unsafe.
Possibility of air pollution find your way to the building Through cracks, windows, doors and other entrances. Once inside, Chemicals can seep into household products Carpets, curtains, furniture, counters, clothing, etc. When the air is stirred, those chemicals can be released again.
Evacuation order has been lifted, but the building is contaminated
Three weeks after the derailment, we began a safety investigation near 17 buildings in Ohio and Pennsylvania. The highest air pollution concentrations were in the 1-mile evacuation zone, followed by the shelter-in-place zone an additional mile away. However, the chemical plume also moved outside of these areas.
There was evidence that chemicals from rail cars had entered buildings in and around East Palestine. many residents complained of a headacherashes and other health symptoms after re-entering the building.
In one building 0.3 miles from the derailment site, indoor air was still contaminated more than four months later.
Nine days after the derailment, advanced air testing by the operator revealed that the building’s indoor air was contaminated with butyl acrylate and other chemicals carried by the rail cars. Butyl acrylate was detected above two-week exposure levels, the level at which action should be taken to protect human health.
When railroad contractors visited the building 11 days after the accident, their team left just 10 minutes later. they even if they Government approved Handheld air pollution detectors did not detect any chemicals. The building was located directly above Sulfur Run Creek, which was heavily contaminated by runoff. The chemicals may have entered through the initial plume of smoke and rose into the building from the stream.
Our testing several weeks later revealed that the chemicals from the rail cars had made their way into the company’s silicone wristband products on the shelves. Several other chemicals that may have been associated with the spill were also detected.
Weeks after the derailment, government officials discovered such an atmosphere inside the train. East Palestine City HallAreas approximately 1.1 miles away from the derailment site were also contaminated. Airborne chemicals entered the building through an open drain from Sulfuran.
It has been more than a month since the evacuation order was lifted. Recognized by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Several buildings in East Palestine were said to have been contaminated while contractors were cleaning contaminated culverts beneath and beside the buildings. Chemicals had entered the building.
Polluted water can cause polluted air
The stream running through the town was heavily polluted by runoff. more 43,000 fish died downstreamchemicals 270 miles (435 km) down the Ohio River.
As the contaminated water flowed downstream, lighter chemicals like butyl acrylate naturally left the stream and entered the air through a process called volatilization.
But unnaturally, the equipment used to clean the stream also transferred chemicals from the water into the air. Residents near the aeration equipment, which injects air into the water to help fish survive, complained that the odor entered their homes and were experiencing health problems. Our research shows that chemicals in the air could be up to 2 to 25 times higher near these aerators.
During the four-month study period, increases and decreases in water levels caused by rain and contractors also stirred up the streams, releasing more chemicals into the air.
Measures to protect public health during future disasters
as and past disasterwhat happened in East Palestine holds many lessons for local communities.
One of the most important things is for the community to request an exposure pathway diagram immediately after a chemical accident occurs. The illustrations help the community recognize potential threats, whether from the air or from culverts under buildings, and see where testing and guidance are needed.
It is also important to monitor the health of people exposed to chemicals. Because so many people have become ill in and around East Palestine, and because government-supervised tests have not been able to identify the exact symptoms that cause the illness, we recommend the following: long-term medical monitoring For those affected.
Those closest to the disaster site, who lived, worked, or visited contaminated buildings, likely experienced the greatest exposure. railroad worker, civil servant, Cleaning staffvisitors and residents ohio and pennsylvania Norfolk Southern and one contractor were among those who reported health problems. accused of failing to protect workers From exposure.
Indoor building contamination can be a long-term problem. just like wildfire smokeaffected buildings must be professionally cleaned as the chemicals can remain for months.
The exterior of the building must also be decontaminated. Chemicals can continue to be released into the air from surfaces.
We also need better methods and evidence-based policies to quickly identify chemical exposures. Months after approving the use of handheld air testing devices to test homes, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency determined that these chemical detectors could not reliably warn of butyl acrylate. all level It can cause health problems. Not all chemical spills inside the building were monitored.
For complex disasters, we recommend bringing in experts from outside the responding agency or company to provide the necessary expertise.
Andrew J. WeltonProfessor of Civil and Environmental Ecological Engineering; purdue university
This article is republished from conversation Under Creative Commons License. please read original article.
