Health and environmental concerns are on the rise after train derailed and this month’s toxic chemical fire in eastern Ohio, near the Pennsylvania border. According to information supplied to the Environmental Protection Agency by the railway operator, Norfolk Southern, about 20 of the train’s approximately 150 carriages were carrying hazardous materials.
Here’s a quick guide to chemicals that people may have been exposed to during a disaster.
vinyl chloride
Five cars Derailed in transit vinyl chlorideA colorless gas that toxicologists describe as a “mild, sweet odor”.
Vinyl chloride is used to make polyvinyl chloride, also known as PVC, which is used to make plastic pipes, cable coatings, and packaging materials. It has been found in the air near PVC plants and hazardous waste sites, and can leach into groundwater.
According to experts, inhaling it can cause dizziness and disorientation. Registry of Toxic Substances and Diseases, which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services. Prolonged exposure is associated with higher rates of liver cancer, a rare form of cancer.
Last week, authorities in Ohio decided release and burn vinyl chloride in the derailed cars after they were warned that the cargo could explode if they didn’t intervene. When burned, vinyl chloride decomposes into gases including hydrogen chloride and phosgene.
Hydrochloric Acid has a strong, unpleasant odor and is corrosive to any tissue that comes in contact with it, according to the federal poison registry. phosgene smells like freshly cut hay and can cause coughing and wheezing if inhaled.
The EPA screened homes in the affected area for vinyl chloride and hydrogen chloride. So far, it has no gas detected in any of them.
Ethylene glycol monobutyl ether
Another derailed carriage was carrying ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, a clear, colorless liquid used in the manufacturing process of products including varnishes, paint thinners, agrochemicals, and industrial and household cleaners. In an experiment that exposed people to high levels of chemicals for several hours, some subjects reported eye and nose irritation, headaches, and vomiting.
According to a document provided by Norfolk Southern to the EPA, the agency posted on its website Sunday, the condition of the wagon carrying ethylene glycol monobutyl ether is “unknown.”
A Norfolk Southern spokesman did not immediately respond to an email on Wednesday asking if this was still happening.
butyl acrylate
According to documents from Norfolk Southern, the derailment caused the entire butyl acrylate load of a wagon to be “missing”. butyl acrylate is a clear, colorless, strongly smelling liquid used in the manufacture of paints, sealants and adhesives. It can cause breathing difficulties and eye and skin irritation National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.
Ethylhexyl acrylate
A vehicle carrying ethylhexyl acrylate derailed and Norfolk Southern said it was unclear how much product was in the vehicle. Ethylhexyl acrylate Used in the manufacture of paints and plastics and can cause skin, eye and respiratory irritation.
Isobutylene
According to Norfolk Southern, a vehicle carrying isobutylene, a flammable gas that smells like gasoline, did not appear to be punctured when it derailed. Isobutylene used in the production of isooctane, a component of some gasoline. Inhaling it may cause dizziness and drowsiness.
