The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) team studying the health consequences of the Ohio train derailment itself fell ill during the investigation.
Seven members of the team had a sore throat, headache, cough and nausea in early March — the same symptoms residents experienced after the train derailment on Feb. 3, which released a toxic soup of chemicals in eastern Palestine and beyond.
The government’s detectives conducted door-to-door surveys in the area to determine the effects on the health of residents.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) insists air quality in the area is safe, but evidence to the contrary is mounting as scientists at Texas A&M and Carnegie Mellon University found that the air contained “higher-than-normal” concentrations of nine potential contained harmful chemicals.
The chemicals on board the train were vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate, benzene residue, glycol monobutyl ether, ethylhexyl acrylate and isobutylene
Ayla Antoniazzi told CNN: “I have allowed my four-year-old to return to kindergarten, which is located at East Palestine Elementary School. She went back two days and got a rash on her hands again and started complaining about itching so I pulled her out again’
A CDC spokesman said so CNN“Symptoms resolved later that same afternoon for most team members, and everyone resumed work on research data collection within 24 hours.” Affected team members have reported no lingering health effects.”
It’s unclear what caused their symptoms, but officers and doctors from the CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service on the team said they found it suspicious that they all feel sick at the same time and have similar symptoms.
The team began to feel better when they left eastern Palestine, the CDC official told CNN.
In a separate incident in February, two EPA contractors working at the site reported symptoms related to strong odors. They were told to leave the area and their symptoms eased, so they returned to work at the site the same day.
The community ACE (after chemical exposure) survey was administered by 514 residents through a health care provider or at the Ohio Department of Health’s Assessment Clinic in Eastern Palestine.
The clinic offered free health checks for people affected by the disaster, and Governor Mike DeWine announced last week that it would remain open permanently.
Wade Lovett, 40, is experiencing breathing difficulties and his previously low voice now sounds high and squeaky. He had to leave work because of this
A giant plume of smoke from the aftermath of the incident could be seen from miles away
The top four symptoms reported in the study were: headache (74 percent), anxiety (61 percent), cough (53 percent), and fatigue (53 percent).
Half of the residents also reported nasal congestion and irritated or burning skin.
Residents have been reporting symptoms since the derailment at the beginning of this month.
Wade Lovett, 40, claims he has developed a high-pitched, Michael-Jackson-esque voice since the chemical incident and is having trouble breathing.
He told DailyMail.com that the problem “is getting worse and worse.”
Mr Lovett, a car detailer, was previously in good health but has developed a high-pitched, Michael-Jackson-like voice and difficulty breathing since the chemical incident.
He said that a few days after the derailment, his voice started to sound like Mickey Mouse.
He said, ‘I started feeling different and coughing and I’ve been like that [with a high-pitched voice] since. My chest hurts, my eyes hurt, they burn, they water.’
Ayla and Tyler Antoniazzi said they were considering leaving the area after their two young daughters started showing symptoms.
They live less than a mile from the incident and went back to their home the next day after the evacuation notice was lifted, but told CNN her children “weren’t themselves.”
She said, “My eldest had a rash on her face. The youngest did too, but not as bad. The two-year-old held her eye and complained that her eye hurt. She was very lethargic.’
“I have allowed my four-year-old to return to kindergarten, which is located at East Palestine Elementary School. She went back two days, got a rash on her hands again and started complaining about itching, so I pulled her out again,” she added.
The toxic soup of chemicals released after an Ohio train crash contains two known carcinogens and other substances that can cause convulsions and vomiting.
Originally, Norfolk Southern released a fact sheet listing the chemicals on the train’s board as vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate, benzene residue, and other flammable liquids.
That turned out then three more dangerous chemicals – glycol monobutyl ether, ethylhexyl acrylate and isobutylene – were on board the train.
Vinyl chloride is a colorless man-made gas that burns easily.
It is mainly used to make polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a hard plastic resin used to make plastic products, including pipe and wire and cable externals.
PVC is not known or suspected to not cause cancer, but vinyl chloride has been associated with a higher risk of a rare form of liver cancer (hepatic angiosarcoma), as well as primary liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma), brain and lung cancer, lymphoma and leukemia .
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) lists vinyl chloride as a human carcinogen, meaning it has sufficient scientific evidence that it causes cancer in humans.
People exposed to vinyl chloride over many years are likely to develop liver damage and cancer.
Two of the derailed cars reportedly contained benzene residue, a colorless or pale yellow liquid with a sweet smell.
It burns easily and evaporates quickly in the air.
The substance is formed naturally by volcanoes and forest fires and is a natural component of crude oil, gasoline and cigarette smoke.
It is also used to make plastics, nylon and some types of lubricants, medicines and pesticides.
Minutes to hours after inhaling benzene, it can cause symptoms such as drowsiness, dizziness, increased or irregular heartbeat, headache, confusion, unconsciousness, and even death at very high levels.
According to the CDC, eating food or drinking water contaminated with benzene can cause drowsiness, vomiting and convulsions within minutes to several hours. It can also cause death at very high levels.