East Palestine derailment has caused PTSD

Study finds major depression among residents close to chemicals-laden train incident

POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) and major depression have been found in residents of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia as direct effects of the 2023 East Palestine train derailment, a new study has shown.

Researchers, including those from the University of Virginia and the University of South Carolina, have published a study identifying the physical and psychological health impacts collected nine months after the event.

The derailment involved more than a dozen Norfolk Southern freight cars catching fire, ultimately prompting a controlled venting that released approximately 438,000 L of vinyl chloride into the air, waterways and soil. Exposure to vinyl chloride has been linked to serious health risks, including liver cancer and leukaemia. Around half of the residents in East Palestine had to evacuate the area.

Health conditions and distrust

Around 1,000 residents within a 65-mile radius of the derailment were surveyed, with the findings showing most respondents were concerned about the impact of exposure to themselves and family members.