Researchers find high levels of dangerous chemicals in East Palestine air

Despite the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) assertion that residents of East Palestine are safe to live around the site of the February 3 train derailment that led to toxic chemical contamination of the local environment, a new assessment from Texas A&M and Carnegie Mellon University found that the Ohio town's air contains "higher than normal" amounts of several potentially dangerous chemicals. 

The report, published last week, determined that acrolein, benzene, vinyl chloride, butadiene, naphthalene, o-Xylene, trichloroethylene, trichloroethane and p-Xylene were all present in the air in East Palestine as a result of the Norfolk Southern Railroad catastrophe.

Acrolein, according to an investigation by the Daily Mail, is "a gas that can cause excess fluid in the lungs." According to the Texas A&M and Carnegie Mellon University researchers, acrolein poses the biggest threat for the locals because they found it to have the highest level above the limit that would be considered safe.

According to East Palestine resident Wade Lovett, he's been struggling to breathe to the point where he feels like he's "drowning," but doctors don't know what to do.

"Doctors say I definitely have the chemicals in me but there's no one in town who can run the toxicological tests to find out which ones they are," he told the New York Post in an unnaturally high-pitched voice. "My voice sounds like Mickey Mouse. My normal voice is low. It's hard to breathe, especially at night. My chest hurts so much at night I feel like I'm drowning. I cough up phlegm a lot."

Lovett added that due to his current health issues, he lost his job. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), exposure to acrolein may cause irritation to the eyes, skin, and organs, as well as chronic respiratory disease.

Benzene, another dangerous industrial chemical found by the researchers, can also bring harsh symptoms after breathing it in, including "drowsiness, dizziness, increased or irregular heartbeat, headaches, confusion, unconsciousness and even death at very high levels" according to the CDC.

The agency states that ingesting a substance that is contaminated with benzene can even cause "blood cancers like leukemia."

While the EPA said they found an average of just 0.00084 milligrams per cubic meter in East Palestine, the Texas A&M researchers found 0.03.

Yet another toxic gas, butadiene, was also found in the northeastern Ohio town.

A CDC chemical report shows that short-term low exposure to butadiene can cause irritation in the eyes, nose, and throat, as well as drowsiness and dizziness.

"Exposure to higher concentrations can damage the central nervous system and lead to blurred vision, vertigo, tiredness, decreased blood pressure, headache, nausea, decreased pulse rate, and fainting," the Daily Mail investigation revealed.

The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) categorizes butadiene as a "potential occupational carcinogen."

The other substances found by the researchers include naphthalene — a gas that can lead to organ damage when inhaled, o-Xylene and p-Xylene — two gasses that can cause dizziness and vomiting, Trichloroethylene and trichloroethene — two liquids may lead to cancer, vinyl chloride — the dangerous carcinogen, and phosgene — a WWI chemical weapon used to suffocate people.

Since the derailment occurred after the Norfolk Southern engineers failed to stop the train after three audible bearing heat detector warnings went off, several local residents and clean-up workers have reported feeling sick. 

According to NBC News, Melissa Blake, who lives less than a mile from the disaster site, claims she began struggling to breathe and coughing up gray mucus two days after the derailment.

Doctors diagnosed her with "acute bronchitis due to chemical fumes," and she now uses a breathing machine, oxygen tank, and three different steroid treatments.