Lessons Learned from the 2023 East Palestine Chemical Spill and Fires Disaster

Time

17:00 CET

About

Four new studies shed light on the East Palestine Chemical disaster.

Join investigators November 6, 2024 and learn about new discoveries from the 2023 chemical disaster in East Palestine, Ohio. Webinar speakers will explain their scientific contributions and findings from four newly published studies. This disaster was reported on globally after a 149-railcar containing hazardous materials derailed in Ohio, USA prompting multi-state evacuations and months long chemical exposures. 

Webinar speakers will shed light on their investigations. Their teams investigated the fate of multiple toxins released into the soil, air, buildings, and watershed, analyzed protective actions and the public warning systems. The freely available studies are listed below.

Register to join for the free webinar. Brief presentations, a panel discussion, followed by a Q&A session will be conducted.

• Brief summaries of each National Science Foundation (www.nsf.gov) grant that supported these investigations can be found under grant numbers 2329409, 2327139, and 2325719. 
• The webinar will feature various rapid response research teams from Purdue University, Tufts University, Cleveland State University, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Aguadilla, University of Notre Dame, and Microbial Insights, Inc. 

Newly published rapid response studies

1. Natural Attenuation Potential of Vinyl Chloride and Butyl Acrylate Released in the East Palestine, Ohio Train Derailment Accident. Published in Environmental Science & Technology. Authors: Chen et al. University of Tennessee Knoxville, Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Aguadilla, Microbial Insights, Inc., Purdue University.

2. Environmental and private property contamination following the Norfolk Southern chemical spill and chemical fires in Ohio. Published in Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology. Authors: Coelho et al. Purdue University, University of Notre Dame.

3. Rapid screening of volatile chemicals in surface water samples from the East Palestine, Ohio chemical disaster site with proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry. Published in Science of the Total Environment. Authors: Jiang et al. Purdue University.

4. What Drives Household Protective Actions in an Industrial Crisis? Insights from the East Palestine Train Derailment? Sustainable Cities and Society. Authors: Toland et al. Tufts University, University of Illinois at Chicago, Cleveland State University, Purdue University.