The state of Ohio, in USAcontinues on high alert for the train derailment that transported chemicals highly dangerous for health and the environment at the beginning of February. In line with the rise in related diseases, the authorities decided to open a specialized health clinic.
The toxic disaster, which some describe as “chemical Chernobyl” in reference to the nuclear disaster in Ukraine, occurred on February 3 in the city of East Palestine, Ohio, after a 150-car train carrying various chemicals, including vinyl chloride, a toxic gas considered carcinogenic.
Toxic Water, Health Problems, and Dead Animals: The Effects of Ohio’s “Chemical Chernobyl”
Although the authorities proceeded with the immediate evacuation of the area, in recent days an increasing number of ailments have been reported, ranging from rashes to nausea and breathing problems, CNN reported. “It is not clear, if at all, what long-term health problems could result from the train wreck,” the report states.
In the report, the US news network added that a state of anxiety among the local inhabitants regarding the health consequences generated from the overturning of the train, which caused immense columns of black smoke and soil contamination. For this reason, the Ohio government, headed by Mike DeWine, ordered the opening of a clinic to receive people with symptoms that could be related to the environmental disaster.
Meanwhile, this week medical teams from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Department of Health arrived in the area to assist in assessing the hazards that could remain in the community of about 5,000 inhabitants. On the other hand, the US Environmental Protection Agency is offering indoor air analysis to residents in the evacuation zone.
The train derailment in Ohio
The freight train derailment in the northeastern US city of East Palestine sparked a widespread fire and the release into the air of toxic fumes. Of the 50 railcars that were destroyed in the accident, ten were carrying toxic chemicals and highly flammable materials, such as butyl acrylate, ethylhexyl acrylate and ethylene glycol monobutyl ether.
But the greatest concern centered on the vinyl chloride, a highly toxic gas that was used as a chemical weapon in World War I and considered carcinogenic by the US National Cancer Institute. Its inhalation causes respiratory problems, vomiting and prolonged exposure, liver damage or liver cancer.
The Ohio Railroad Disaster, Between Negligence and UFO Fantasy
The Norfolk Southern train, with approximately 150 cars, crashed while carrying cargo from Madison, Illinois, to Conway, Pennsylvania, on February 3. This accident resulted in the derailment of 38 carriages, after which “a fire broke out, damaging 12 others,” the National Transportation Safety Board said in a statement on Tuesday.
Of the sections that derailed, 11 transported hazardous materials, including vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate and other chemicals. Thousands of residents had to be evacuated due to the danger of gas leaks.
The incident sparked countless versions and conspiracy theories but certainly left serious environmental and health damage in the area. For some people, the reports continue to raise fears that they and their animals may be exposed to chemicals through the air, water, and soil.
CDI / MCP
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