PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
On February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous chemicals, including vinyl chloride and butyl
acrylate, derailed in the village of East Palestine, Ohio. Nearly half of the local 4,800 residents were evacuated
within hours. A subsequent controlled combustion of five tankers was undertaken, resulting in the release of
phosgene and hydrogen chloride into the atmosphere. While initial air sampling did not show evidence of vinyl
chloride or hydrogen chloride concentrations above air quality standards, testing is ongoing. Contaminated run
off was detected in two surface water streams. This has had significant ecologic impact — more than 40,000
fish deaths were identified within a 5 mile radius of the site in the days following the derailment. The subacute
and long-term health impacts of this environmental and public health disaster remain unknown. For residents
of East Palestine and the surrounding communities, concern about the long term environmental and health
impacts of these exposures remains high. Due to the multi-pollutant nature of this chemical exposure, and the
potential for pre-existing exposures due to clustering of heavy industry within the area surrounding East
Palestine, a quantitative approach based on biospecimens is crucial to guide subsequent disease surveillance.
While chemical exposure assessment is typically done via interrogation of biospecimens in blood and urine for
specific contaminants, this approach only provides a snapshot of short-term chemical exposure. The somatic
mutation rate (SMR), however, provides a global overview of chemical exposures, as demonstrated by
previous research, and serves as a proxy for environmental chemical exposures. Here, we propose utilizing
SMR to establish a baseline for acute chemical exposure and long-term monitoring with respect to health and
disease risks. Our time-sensitive response, as proposed here, “Healthy Futures Research Study: Linking
somatic mutation rate with baseline exposure in East Palestine”, establishes the baseline impact of a subacute
chemical exposure utilizing a genomic biomarker as a surrogate measure for direct chemical concentration
levels given the mixture of potential contaminants. Our research proposal will i) develop and engage
participatory research in East Palestine and the greater region; ii) utilize a cross-sectional study to assess the
correlation between the SMR, a genomic biomarker, with geographical proximity to the train derailment
epicenter; and iii) elucidate perceived experiences post-disaster with qualitative approaches. This proposal will
establish and develop a shared partnership with community residents, formally organizing a Community
Advisory Board among community members, and providing a baseline biomarker for chemical exposure thus
serving as a baseline for longitudinal studies. Our responsive team is comprised of epidemiologists, community
outreach researchers, and healthcare advocates. Overall, this proposal establishes a cornerstone working with
the community, health departments, and other research institutions across the region to fully comprehend the
short- and long-term health impacts in the East Palestine community.
