Independent researchers who traversed East Palestine, Ohio, with air-monitoring equipment said Friday that found levels of chemical contamination similar to measures previously reported by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Several key contaminants, including benzene and vinyl chloride, have tested below levels of concern for intermediate exposures, meaning exposure lasting between two weeks and one year. The researchers said they found levels of at least one chemical, acrolein, that could raise long-term concern and warrants additional monitoring as cleanup continues in eastern Palestine following the train derailment and chemical fire.
The academic research, led by scientists from Carnegie Mellon University and Texas A&M University, was completed using extremely sensitive instruments that can identify thousands of chemical compounds, the team said at a news conference.
In a community where trust between residents and government authorities has been shaken, the research could bolster confidence in government testing data, but it also raises questions about the potential for long-term health exposures and whether other compounds yet to be identified could affect people’s health.
The researchers drove a van, their mobile laboratory, through eastern Palestine on February 21 and 22. The crew in the van samples the air every 10 feet, they said. The lab is part of Carnegie Mellon’s Center for Atmospheric Particle Studies and has been used for the past decade to take air measurements across the country. according to the university.
The group’s team detected levels of benzene, toluene, xylenes and vinyl chloride that were below the minimum risk levels for exposures between 15 days and one year.
«What we measured in eastern Palestine was similar to what you would expect in a North American city. We’re getting concentrations similar to EPA. We’re getting concentrations similar to what you’d get in Pittsburgh,» Albert Presto, associate professor researcher in Carnegie Mellon’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, during a press conference Friday. «We didn’t see any hot spots, places with high concentrations.»
But in parts of eastern Palestine, levels of acrolein, a toxic compound known to irritate the respiratory system, were detected about three times higher than what researchers would expect to find in Pittsburgh or another typical American city.
Acrolein is found in smoke and can be produced by burning oil, gasoline, or other materials. It can cause «burning in the nose and throat and can damage the lungs.» according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
EPA sampling data have shown elevated levels of acrolein that were above levels of concern for intermediate exposure.
«For acrolein, you need to continue to monitor,» said Weihsueh Chiu, a researcher at Texas A&M University.
More research is needed, Chiu said, adding that it may take time to analyze the data collected in its entirety and determine whether there are other risks.
Friday’s reports build on findings in which the group previously analyzed EPA data and Reported traces of other chemicals detected at levels above normal.
The researchers plan to expand their data analysis.
«People complain about different kinds of health effects. One part we’re still looking at is the non-specific data — we’re looking at a broad set of chemicals that no one measures or monitors,» Chiu said, adding that it’s too early to tell. know for sure what they will find.
The EPA said earlier this week that it would deploy its own mobile test lab for air quality.
«Both federal and state authorities recognize that they need to broaden the scope of their air quality measurements,» said Ivan Rusyn, director of the Texas A&M University Superfund Research Center. «Continuous air quality measurements need to be taken, a broader look at different compounds needs to be taken.»
On Thursday, the EPA also said it would require Norfolk Southern to test for dioxins, a class of toxic chemicals that break down slowly and can cause health problems such as cancer, developmental problems, and reproductive problems.