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Chemical fallout from 2023 Norfolk Southern train derailment reaches 16 states

January 22, 2025

Chemical fallout from 2023 Norfolk Southern train derailment reaches 16 states

Toxic chemicals released during a fire following a train derailment in Ohio have been carried across 16 states, endangering the health of countless residents, according to new research of federal data.

Researchers analyzed rain and snow water samples collected from 260 different sites spanning from northern Wisconsin to North Carolina. The results revealed levels of pH and some compounds that were the highest recorded over the past 10 years.

One of the researchers said he was surprised at the high contamination levels in the samples, noting “there was more than we ever would have guessed.” Researchers were also surprised to find very high pH levels in precipitation as far away as northern Maine. Rain at a high enough pH can burn human skin and damage flora and fauna.

About the 2023 Ohio train derailment

In February 2023, a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. Twenty of the train’s cars contained hazardous materials, including vinyl chloride and benzene. Two days after the derailment and subsequent fire, officials carried out a controlled burn of the vinyl chloride in one of the tankers.

Both the accident and the fire resulted in the emission of large amounts of hazardous compounds into the atmosphere over a period of several days. The combination of a long-burning fire and high winds led to the pollution spreading far and wide.

The Norfolk Southern train was carrying several toxic chemicals, many of which are highly flammable, including:

  • Vinyl chloride, which can affect the central nervous system, liver, kidney, and lungs
  • Benzene, which is linked to neurological symptoms in humans, and can cause disorders in the blood
  • Ethylhexyl acrylate, which can cause cancer, according to the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)

What is vinyl chloride?

Most vinyl chloride is used to make polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic and vinyl products. When burned or heated to a high enough temperature, vinyl chloride decomposes to become carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen chloride. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified vinyl chloride as a human carcinogen.

Exposure to vinyl chloride is associated with the following health effects:

  • Drowsiness, loss of coordination, visual and auditory abnormalities, nausea, disorientation, and burning or tingling of extremities
  • Permanent liver injury and liver cancer, neurologic or behavioral symptoms
  • Central nervous system and respiratory depression
  • Decreased birth weight and birth defects
  • Long-term exposure to high concentrations of vinyl chloride can cause death

What is benzene?

Benzene is a highly flammable chemical used to make other chemicals that are then used to make plastics, resins, nylon and synthetic fibers. Benzene is also used to make rubbers, dyes, detergents, pesticides, and some types of lubricants.

Exposure to benzene is associated with the following health effects:

  • Drowsiness, dizziness, tremors, confusion, and a rapid or irregular heartbeat
  • Anemia from the bone marrow not producing enough red blood cells
  • Excessive bleeding
  • Damage to the immune system and a higher chance of infection
  • Long-term exposure to high levels of benzene can cause leukemia, a cancer of the blood-forming organs
  • Leukemia, type of cancer of the blood
  • Low birth weight and birth defects

How We Help Victims of Benzene Exposure 

Seek justice with the help of our experienced attorneys. Our Dallas, Texas, law firm has battled corporate giants on behalf of individuals like you for 20 years, aggressively fighting to hold them responsible for dangerous chemicals and the personal injuries and cancers they cause. If you have suffered a catastrophic injury caused by dangerous products, we can help.

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