The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has committed to a five-year, $10 million research effort in East Palestine, Ohio, three years after the Norfolk Southern train derailment. Researchers will engage with the community, lead studies, and help residents with federally supported health research, the agency explained.
On February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying toxic materials derailed. Some of the hazardous substances exposed to the atmosphere included vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate, ethylene glycol, and benzene residue. Residents reported headaches, respiratory issues, and skin and eye irritation.
NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya said the program is “designed to bring rigorous, independent science directly to the community.”
“By establishing a local presence, we can better engage residents, support enrollment in studies, and ensure the research reflects the real experiences and concerns of the people affected,” he said.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. similarly said that the research hub “offers the people of East Palestine a pathway to clear answers about their health they deserve. Everyone affected by this environmental disaster deserves access to independent, gold-standard science that puts their well-being first.”
In June, Vice President JD Vance announced the development of the program, stating that its launch marks a “very big day not just for the people of East Palestine, but for anybody who wants to understand the connection between the chemicals that we use every day and the effects that it has on people’s health.”
A study conducted in the aftermath of the derailment found that toxic chemicals contaminated 16 states. “Our measurements revealed a large areal impact from the Midwest through the Northeast and likely Canada, and perhaps as far south as North Carolina (portions of 16 states, 1.4 million km2),” the study’s abstract read.
“Observations showed the expected high chloride concentrations, but also unexpectedly high pH (basic) and exceptionally elevated levels of base cations exceeding 99th percentiles versus the historic record,” it explained. “These results were consistent with the meteorological conditions and atmospheric trajectories, and were not due to highly-concentrated low volume precipitation samples or wildfires.”
