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A 2023 freight train derailment in Ohio caused exposure to potentially hazardous chemicals and physical and mental health symptoms in a large majority of residents, according to a community assessment in the April issue of the
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
"Our findings have been used to address healthcare needs in the community through a permanent clinic and highlight the importance of continuing monitoring potential long-term health effect of the incident," comments Theodore C. Larson, MS, of the US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), Atlanta.
In February 2023, a cargo train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. The resulting fires led to evacuation orders in East Palestine and nearby Darlington Township, Pennsylvania. Departments of Health in the two states requested assistance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and ATSDR to perform an
Assessment of Chemical Exposures (ACE): a rapid survey of the community exposure and health effects after environmental incidents.
Of 701 participants surveyed within a few weeks after the disaster, 86% reported exposure to hazardous chemicals. Ninety-two percent of participants reported new or worsening physical symptoms: most commonly headache, coughing, and eye symptoms.
Seventy percent of respondents reported mental health symptoms, most commonly anxiety and sleep difficulties. Working-age adults (aged 18 to 64) had the highest rates of eye, neurological, skin-related, and mental health symptoms.
Less than half of participants with symptoms received any healthcare services after the disaster; at the time of the survey, 44% still had unmet health needs. Based on the findings of the ACE investigation, a permanent health clinic was established to address the healthcare needs of the affected communities.
"The infrastructure established in this response has the potential to improve future emergency response planning and capacity building at the local level," Mr. Larson and coauthors conclude.
They hope their findings will contribute to understanding the impact of acute chemical exposures, addressing the immediate healthcare needs, and enhancing preparedness for future incidents.