On 3 February, 2023, a 149-car freight train derailed outside the town of East Palestine in the U.S. state of Ohio while en route to Conway, Pennsylvania (1). Private rail operator Norfolk Southern told media outlets that 20 of the rail cars were carrying numerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at the time, including vinyl chloride, polyethylene, benzene, butyl acrylates and ethylene glycol (2). A number of rail cars subsequently ignited, posing serious risk of a hazardous chemical incident. Approximately 50 rail cars were in involved in the derailment (3).
First responders established a 1-mile (1.6km) evacuation zone around the crash site, and fire crews managed to contain the burning material by 5 February, although they were not able to fully extinguish the blaze. Subsequently, officials became concerned with a sustained rise in temperature inside one unit nearby railcars 28-31 and railcar 55, which between them were carrying 115, 580 gallons (437517.8 L) of vinyl chloride (4). Fearing the vinyl chloride was undergoing a polymerisation reaction, crews decided to enact a controlled release of the material to avert a potentially catastrophic explosion (5). Following an expansion of the evacuation zone to 2 miles (3.2km), controlled venting began on the afternoon of 6 February, during which vinyl chloride liquid was released into constructed trenches, where the material was vaporised and burned (4). A large chemical plume became visible during the release, however, raising concerns amongst residents over long-term health effects associated with any potential exposure to by-products of the burn-off (6).
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) personnel told U.S. media that the main chemicals released during the controlled venting were vinyl chloride (VC) and butyl acrylate (1). “Vinyl chloride syndrome” has been documented since the 1970s among those who have had occupational exposure to VC, which involves symptoms such as headache, changes in vision, nausea, insomnia, peripheral neuropathy, and weight loss (7). Sustained exposure has also exhibited a strong association with angiosarcoma of the liver, and VC is classified by U.S. authorities as a known human carcinogen (8). Less definitive evidence has shown higher levels of other cancers amongst those occupationally exposed to VC, including brain tumours and hepatocellular carcinoma, as well as lung, lymphatic and skin cancers (8). Prolonged exposure can also cause sensory-motor polyneuropathy, pyramidal, extrapyramidal, and cerebellar abnormalities; neuropsychiatric symptoms such as sleep disorders, loss of libido, headaches, and irritability; EEG alterations; and immunopathologic phenomena such as purpura and thrombocytopenia, as well as Raynaud’s phenomena (8).
Occupational exposure to VC as historically described may not be applicable to the recent disaster in East Palestine. While acute exposure at high levels primarily affects the central nervous system and can result in cardio-respiratory compromise, sublethal effects resolve quickly when the person is removed from exposure to the agent (9). Of more immediate concern are the by-products that can result from the burning of vinyl chloride, including carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and phosgene (10). The potential for phosgene to damage human health, even when only present in the air at very low levels, has prompted distress amongst members of the East Palestine community.
Anecdotal reports via local, national, and social media sources indicate some local residents have experienced symptoms consistent with low-level acute chemical exposure following the incident (11). A number of residents told media outlets of experiencing headache, sore throat, gastroenterological symptoms and skin rashes (11). Some of these symptoms are consistent with acute inhalational exposure of vinyl chloride, and were similar to those experienced by residents of Paulsboro, New Jersey, in November of 2012, following a train derailment there that also involved a consignment of vinyl chloride (12).
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) deployed personnel from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to support the Ohio State Department of Health (ODH) in assessing contamination risks and to co-ordinate the response. The ODH established a Health Assessment Clinic staffed by physicians, toxicologists, and mental health clinicians in East Palestine, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, for any affected residents to attend free of charge. As of 24 February, 77 individuals had attended the Health Assessment Clinic, however no formal epidemiological report has been issued by authorities (13). Local media reported an apparent rise in skin rash presentations in the weeks following the crash (14), however health providers did not see an unusual number of patients presenting with acute respiratory illness (15).
Evidence has emerged of an increase in local wildlife mortality as a result of chemical exposure from the accident (16). The Ohio Department of Resources estimated that at least 43,000 aquatic organisms died in waterways within a 5-mile (8km) radius of the site (16). Local residents have also voiced concern over the health of pets and livestock, and subsequent impacts on food security (17). The accident is expected to have a deleterious effect on crops and local plant life, with experts from Cornell University warning that “vinyl chloride is highly mobile in soils and water”, advising farmers to test wells and soils where crops are grown (18). While Ohio Governor Mike de Wine advised residents that it is safe to return to their homes as of February 8th, an atmosphere of distrust has inhibited effective public communication efforts (19).
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) deployed technical specialists within hours of the incident, and conducted monitoring of air, groundwater, soil and sediment. Monitoring was coupled with detailed, real-time data visualisation available to the public (20). Questions were raised by state Senators, however, as to why the EPA was not testing for dioxins, a likely by-product of burned vinyl chloride (21). Other observers questioned the efficacy of using untargeted analysis that may not detect polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other compounds (22). Facing mounting criticism, the EPA finally ordered Norfolk Southern to sample for dioxins on 2 March (23).
Following the accident, the EPA issued a unilateral order directing Norfolk Southern to conduct “all necessary actions associated with clean-up” (24). However, operations were ordered to pause on 25 February, after residents living near interstate disposal sites raised concerns (22). Contaminated soil from the site was to be safely disposed of at a US Ecology landfill in Belville, Michigan, and contaminated water was to be sent to a Texas Molecular deep well injection facility in Deer Park, Texas (22). On 16 February, however, a separate train derailment occurred on a Norfolk Southern line near the Belville site (25), leading local officials to question the arrangements. On the day the clean-up was paused, at least 102,000 gallons of liquid waste (186, 112 L) and 4,500 cubic yards (3,440 cubic metres) of solid waste remained at the East Palestine site (26).
Well-founded concerns among the public over the environmental testing methodologies being used by federal authorities have been aggravated by political figures seeking to exploit the disaster for apparent personal gain (27). Fringe media outlets that have been associated with disinformation campaigns in recent years accused the U.S. federal government of wilfully suppressing information and not attending to the disaster, despite ample evidence to the contrary (27). Such exploitation of the disaster emanated particularly from disinformation actors who were prominent in misleading public discussion during the COVID-19 pandemic (28).
While the controlled venting and burning of vinyl chloride appeared to be the least dangerous course of action authorities could take following the derailment, substantial questions remain regarding the conduct of the U.S. private rail industry and its suitability for transporting potentially volatile compounds (29). In 2014, rail industry lobbyists, representing Norfolk Southern and other operators, opposed adoption of more stringent train speed limits on the basis they could “impact network fluidity” (30). The Association of American Railroads further opposed the mandatory use of electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brakes on trains that carry high-hazard flammable materials (30). A preliminary investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board found that an overheated axle may have been a contributing factor in the East Palestine derailment, which occurred as the train travelled at 47mph (75 km/h), below the established speed limit of 50mph (80km/h) (4). Notably, the lobbyists’ 2014 submission argued that a proposed 40mph speed limit would “dramatically impair railroad service” (30).
One month after the Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, U.S. lawmakers proposed reforms to address these safety issues (31). In a rare moment of bipartisanship, Democrats and Republicans in the Senate put forward measures aimed at strengthening inspection requirements for trains carrying hazardous materials and drew up increased fines for safety breaches (31). Among the measures proposed is a mechanism obliging rail operators to inform state emergency response officials precisely what is being transported through their jurisdiction. However, the bill fell short of an earlier proposal to reduce speed limits for trains carrying hazardous materials and left more substantial regulatory reform to the Transportation Department (31). Shortly after the bill was introduced, rail industry lobbyists said they would oppose the measures (32).
1. Cohen L. What to know about vinyl chloride and other hazardous chemicals on the train that derailed in Ohio. CBS News. 2023 Feb 14. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-is-vinyl-chloride-what-other-chemicals-were-on-train-derailed-east-palestine-ohio/
2. Epstein K. Ohio train derailment: How dangerous are the chemicals? BBC News. 2023 Feb 16. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64670227
3. Associated Press. 50-car train derailment causes big fire, evacuations in Ohio. 2023, Feb 5. https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-ohio-evacuations-fires-5d399dc745f51ef746e22828083d8591
4. National Transportation Safety Board. Norfolk Southern train derailment with subsequent hazardous material release and fires: Preliminary report RRD23MR005. (Published Feb 23, 2023). https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Documents/RRD23MR005%20East%20Palestine%20OH%20Prelim.pdf
5. Singh K, Gorman S. Derailed train cars in Ohio drained of toxic chemical amid mass evacuation. Reuters. 2023 Feb 7. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/ohio-carry-out-controlled-release-chemicals-train-derailment-site-2023-02-06/
6. McDaniel J. What’s known about the toxic plume from the Ohio train derailment. The Washington Post. 2023 Feb 15. https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/02/15/ohio-train-derailment-toxic-chemicals/
7. Sass JB, Castleman B, Wallinga D. Vinyl chloride: A case study of data suppression and misrepresentation. Environ Health Perspect. 2005 Jul;113(7):809-12. doi: 10.1289/ehp.7716.
8. World Health Organization. Vinyl chloride: Environmental Health Criteria 215. Geneva: WHO Inter-organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals, 1999. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/42217/WHO_EHC_215.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
9. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Medical management guidelines for vinyl chloride. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control (Accessed Feb 26, 2023). https://wwwn.cdc.gov/TSP/MMG/MMGDetails.aspx?mmgid=278&toxid=51
10. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Phosgene (CG): Lung damaging agent. Centers for Disease Control. 2011, May 12. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ershdb/emergencyresponsecard_29750023.html
11. Goodman B, Alvarado, C. East Palestine residents worry rashes, headaches and other symptoms may be tied to chemicals from train crash. CNN. 2023 Feb 17. https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/17/health/ohio-derailment-rashes-health-impacts/index.html
12. Shumate AM, Taylor J, McFarland E, Tan C, Duncan MA. Medical response to a vinyl chloride release from a train derailment: New Jersey, 2012. Disaster Medicine Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11(5):538-544. doi: 10.1017/dmp.2016.191.
13. Ohio Department of Health. Expanded services at East Palestine clinic [press release]. 2023, Feb 22. https://odh.ohio.gov/media-center/ODH-News-Releases/odh-news-release-02-22-23
14. Vogrin G, Scott E. Cause of rashes in East Palestine remains unknown. The Tribune Chronicle. 2023 Feb 26. https://www.tribtoday.com/news/local-news/2023/02/cause-of-rashes-in-east-palestine-remains-unknown/
15. Hodges L. A doctor in East Palestine details the things he’s looking for now. National Public Radio. 2023 Feb 22. https://www.npr.org/2023/02/22/1158827319/east-palestine-ohio-train-norfolk-southern-health-doctor-chemicals
16. Ohio Department of Natural Resources. ODNR update on East Palestine train derailment impact on wildlife [Press release] 2023, Feb 23. https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/safety-conservation/about-ODNR/news/Train-Derailment
17. Cochrane E. After chemical burn, farm owners worry about a cherished way of life. The New York Times. 2023 Feb 22. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/22/us/politics/ohio-train-derailment-farms-chemicals.html
18. McBride M. Vinyl chloride ‘highly mobile in soils and water’[press release]. 2023 Feb 15. Cornell University Media Relations Office. https://news.cornell.edu/media-relations/tip-sheets/vinyl-chloride-highly-mobile-soils-and-water-east-palestine-area-farmers
19. Ohio Emergency Management Agency. East Palestine update: Residents can safely return home [press release]. 2023 Feb 8. https://ema.ohio.gov/media-publications/news/east-palestine-update-residents-can-safety-return-home
20. Environmental Protection Agency. Air sampling data: East Palestine, Ohio train derailment. [dataset] https://www.epa.gov/oh/air-sampling-data-east-palestine-ohio-train-derailment (Accessed Feb 26, 2023)
21. Brown S, Vance J.D. Letter to Director Anne Vogel and Administrator Michael Regan of the Environmental Protection Agency. (Feb 18, 2023). https://www.brown.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/letter_to_epa_about_dioxins_and_east_palestine_final.pdf
22. Perkins T. Ohio rail crash: Toxic waste removal suspended amid contamination fears. The Guardian. 2023 Feb 26. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/25/ohio-toxic-train-site-east-palestine-houston-material?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
23. Martinez G. EPA to require Norfolk Southern to test for dioxins at site of East Palestine train derailment. CBS News. 2023, March 2. www.cbsnews.com/news/east-palestine-train-derailment-epa-requiring-norfolk-southern-to-test-for-dioxins/
24. Guillen A. EPA orders Norfolk Southern to pay for train crash clean-up. Politico. 2023 Feb 21. https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/21/epa-norfolk-southern-crash-clean-up-00083777
25. Fleming C, Thornton C, Nguyen, T. Norfolk southern train derails in southeast Michigan. USA Today. 2023 Feb 16. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/02/16/train-derailment-in-michigan-near-detroit/11274008002/
26. Valente M. U.S. EPA orders Norfolk Southern to pause waste disposal. ABC4 News. 2023 Feb 25. https://www.wtae.com/article/east-palestine-train-derailment-norfolk-southern-epa-pause-waste-removal/43077333#
27. Spencer S, McDonald, J. Commentators push unfounded claims about Ohio train derailment. FactCheck.org. 2023 Feb 22. https://www.factcheck.org/2023/02/commentators-push-unfounded-claims-about-ohio-train-derailment/
28. Collinson, S. Ohio’s toxic spill is unleashing poisonous, partisan politics. CNN. 2023 Feb 23. https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/23/politics/partisan-politics-east-palestine-ohio-derailment-analysis/index.html
29. Ivanova, I. Lawsuits piling up against Norfolk Southern after derailment. CBS News. 2023, Feb 17. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/norfolk-southern-stock-railorad-lawsuits-train-derailment/
30. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. Submission of the Association of American Railroads regarding Docket no. PHMSA-2012-0082 (HM-251). Hazardous materials: Enhanced tank car standards and operational controls for high-hazard flammable trains. (Submitted Sept 30, 2014). https://www.regulations.gov/comment/PHMSA-2012-0082-2329
31. Lai, S. Bipartisan Rail Safety Bill Unveiled After Ohio Crash. The New York Times. 2023 Mar 02.
32. Weaver A, Evers-Hillstrom, K. Bipartisan safety bill runs into Republican roadblock. The Hill. 2023 Mar 03. https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/3886228-bipartisan-rail-safety-bill-runs-into-republican-roadblock/