Background information
In February 2023, a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, releasing toxic chemicals into the environment. This accident affected people living in East Palestine and nearby communities.
In the aftermath, local, state, and federal agencies, including the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), worked together to help. Their support included sponsoring scientific research and participating in a virtual workshop organized by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). As part of this effort, the NIEHS Emerging Contaminants and Issues of Concern (ECIC) Program and the Integrative Health Assessments Branch created a report (504KB) outlining what we currently know — and don’t yet know — about the health risks from the chemicals released. Highlights from the draft report were shared at the NASEM workshop and a revised version is published in the Journal of Exposure Science.
Documents
- Lunn RM, Clemons M, Blain R, Mahabir S, Mehta SS, Rooney AA, Singh A, Smith-Roe S, Taylor KW, Tracy W, Zarco M, Fenton SE. Identifying the known and unknown health hazard information for chemical disasters: a phased scoping review of the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. 2025 Sep 12. Epub ahead of print. [Abstract] [Full Text]
- Rapid Scoping Review of East Palestine, Ohio Chemicals of Interest, 2023. Draft Report and Supplemental.