View in EDS

Soil contamination by environmentally persistent free radicals and dioxins following train derailment in East Palestine, OH.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Soil contamination by environmentally persistent free radicals and dioxins following train derailment in East Palestine, OH.
Authors: Lard, Myron L.1 (AUTHOR), Eichler, Sarah E.2 (AUTHOR), Gao, Peng3 (AUTHOR), Singh, Kuldeep4 (AUTHOR), Ortiz, Joseph D.4 (AUTHOR), Cook, Robert L.1 (AUTHOR), Lomnicki, Slawomir1 (AUTHOR), Cormier, Stephania A.5 (AUTHOR), Richmond-Bryant, Jennifer6 (AUTHOR) jrbryan3@ncsu.edu
Source: Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts. 2025, Vol. 27 Issue 3, p729-740. 12p.
Subject Terms: *Dioxins, *Health impact assessment, *Chemical spills, *Soil pollution, *Environmental remediation, Free radicals, Railroad accidents
Geographic Terms: Ohio
Company/Entity: Norfolk Southern Corp.
Abstract: The Norfolk Southern train derailment on February 3, 2023, in East Palestine, Ohio, prompted concerns about the health impacts from the chemical spills and open-air combustion. We hypothesize that the combustion of chemicals, including vinyl chloride, in the presence of transition-metal oxides from the train, tracks, and soil minerals were conducive to the formation of hazardous byproducts including environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs), dioxins, and furans. We also hypothesize that these harmful byproducts of combustion have a shared origin and thus will have elevated concentrations in soil samples collected close to the derailment site when compared to concentrations in background soils. This study examined the co-occurrence of these soil contaminants from samples collected August 14–17, 2023, within a two-mile radius of the incident site to assess the concentration of EPFRs, dioxins, and furans. We measured elevated levels of EPFRs (average: 3.00 × 1017 spins per g) and dioxin/furan toxic equivalence (TEQ) (average: 32.8 pg g−1) near the derailment area compared to background levels (EPFRs: 1.33 × 1017 spins per g; TEQ: 10.7 pg g−1). Significant positive correlations (p < 0.002) between EPFRs and specific dioxin/furan congener concentrations (0.63–0.74) indicated robust associations between EPFRs and dioxin/furan congeners, the first such observations in field-collected soil samples. These results highlight the environmental health impact of the derailment and associated combustion, underscoring the need for comprehensive longitudinal monitoring and remediation efforts in the affected area and similar industrial accident sites. This study also offers insights into the formation mechanisms and persistence of EPFRs, dioxins, and furans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts is the property of Royal Society of Chemistry and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: GreenFILE
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: 8gh
DbLabel: GreenFILE
An: 183815407
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Soil contamination by environmentally persistent free radicals and dioxins following train derailment in East Palestine, OH.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Lard%2C+Myron+L%2E%22&quot;&gt;Lard, Myron L.&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;1&lt;/relatesTo&gt; (AUTHOR)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Eichler%2C+Sarah+E%2E%22&quot;&gt;Eichler, Sarah E.&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;2&lt;/relatesTo&gt; (AUTHOR)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Gao%2C+Peng%22&quot;&gt;Gao, Peng&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;3&lt;/relatesTo&gt; (AUTHOR)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Singh%2C+Kuldeep%22&quot;&gt;Singh, Kuldeep&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;4&lt;/relatesTo&gt; (AUTHOR)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Ortiz%2C+Joseph+D%2E%22&quot;&gt;Ortiz, Joseph D.&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;4&lt;/relatesTo&gt; (AUTHOR)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Cook%2C+Robert+L%2E%22&quot;&gt;Cook, Robert L.&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;1&lt;/relatesTo&gt; (AUTHOR)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Lomnicki%2C+Slawomir%22&quot;&gt;Lomnicki, Slawomir&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;1&lt;/relatesTo&gt; (AUTHOR)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Cormier%2C+Stephania+A%2E%22&quot;&gt;Cormier, Stephania A.&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;5&lt;/relatesTo&gt; (AUTHOR)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Richmond-Bryant%2C+Jennifer%22&quot;&gt;Richmond-Bryant, Jennifer&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;relatesTo&gt;6&lt;/relatesTo&gt; (AUTHOR)&lt;i&gt; jrbryan3@ncsu.edu&lt;/i&gt;
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;JN&quot; term=&quot;%22Environmental+Science%3A+Processes+%26+Impacts%22&quot;&gt;Environmental Science: Processes &amp; Impacts&lt;/searchLink&gt;. 2025, Vol. 27 Issue 3, p729-740. 12p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subject Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: *&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Dioxins%22&quot;&gt;Dioxins&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;*&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Health+impact+assessment%22&quot;&gt;Health impact assessment&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;*&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Chemical+spills%22&quot;&gt;Chemical spills&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;*&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Soil+pollution%22&quot;&gt;Soil pollution&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;*&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Environmental+remediation%22&quot;&gt;Environmental remediation&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Free+radicals%22&quot;&gt;Free radicals&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Railroad+accidents%22&quot;&gt;Railroad accidents&lt;/searchLink&gt;
– Name: SubjectGeographic
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Ohio%22&quot;&gt;Ohio&lt;/searchLink&gt;
– Name: SubjectCompany
  Label: Company/Entity
  Group: Su
  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Norfolk+Southern+Corp%2E%22&quot;&gt;Norfolk Southern Corp.&lt;/searchLink&gt;
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: The Norfolk Southern train derailment on February 3, 2023, in East Palestine, Ohio, prompted concerns about the health impacts from the chemical spills and open-air combustion. We hypothesize that the combustion of chemicals, including vinyl chloride, in the presence of transition-metal oxides from the train, tracks, and soil minerals were conducive to the formation of hazardous byproducts including environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs), dioxins, and furans. We also hypothesize that these harmful byproducts of combustion have a shared origin and thus will have elevated concentrations in soil samples collected close to the derailment site when compared to concentrations in background soils. This study examined the co-occurrence of these soil contaminants from samples collected August 14–17, 2023, within a two-mile radius of the incident site to assess the concentration of EPFRs, dioxins, and furans. We measured elevated levels of EPFRs (average: 3.00 &#215; 1017 spins per g) and dioxin/furan toxic equivalence (TEQ) (average: 32.8 pg g−1) near the derailment area compared to background levels (EPFRs: 1.33 &#215; 1017 spins per g; TEQ: 10.7 pg g−1). Significant positive correlations (p &lt; 0.002) between EPFRs and specific dioxin/furan congener concentrations (0.63–0.74) indicated robust associations between EPFRs and dioxin/furan congeners, the first such observations in field-collected soil samples. These results highlight the environmental health impact of the derailment and associated combustion, underscoring the need for comprehensive longitudinal monitoring and remediation efforts in the affected area and similar industrial accident sites. This study also offers insights into the formation mechanisms and persistence of EPFRs, dioxins, and furans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: &lt;i&gt;Copyright of Environmental Science: Processes &amp; Impacts is the property of Royal Society of Chemistry and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder&#39;s express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.&lt;/i&gt; (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=8gh&AN=183815407
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1039/d4em00609g
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 12
        StartPage: 729
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Dioxins
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Health impact assessment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Chemical spills
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Soil pollution
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Environmental remediation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Free radicals
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Railroad accidents
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Ohio
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Norfolk Southern Corp.
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Soil contamination by environmentally persistent free radicals and dioxins following train derailment in East Palestine, OH.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Lard, Myron L.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Eichler, Sarah E.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Gao, Peng
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Singh, Kuldeep
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Ortiz, Joseph D.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Cook, Robert L.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Lomnicki, Slawomir
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Cormier, Stephania A.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Richmond-Bryant, Jennifer
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 03
              Text: 2025
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 20507887
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 27
            – Type: issue
              Value: 3
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts
              Type: main
ResultId 1