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"I'm afraid to be here": residents of areas near the derailment in Ohio report illnesses associated with chemical exposure, such as bronchitis

2023-02-25T19:33:16.601Z


Medical professionals suspect that the headaches, rashes and respiratory problems of some people who live or work near the site of the train accident are related to the release of dangerous chemicals in East Palestine.


By Aria Bendix and Alicia Victoria Lozano -

NBC News

People who live or work near the site where a train carrying hazardous substances derailed this month have been diagnosed with bronchitis and other conditions that doctors and nurses suspect are related to exposure to these chemicals.

Melissa Blake, who lived less than a mile from the crash site in East Palestine, Ohio, recounted that on February 5—two days after the Norfolk Southern train derailment—she had difficulty breathing, began to cough and expel a gray mucus.

That day, he evacuated his home and went to the emergency room, where

he was diagnosed with "acute bronchitis due to chemical gases

," according to the medical history reviewed by NBC News, the sister network of Noticias Telemundo.

“They put me on a respirator.

They put me on oxygen.

They gave me three types of steroids,” said Blake, who has not returned home since being released from the hospital nearly three weeks ago.

[What chemicals were released from the Ohio train derailment and how could they harm the health of residents?]

At CeramFab, a factory located near the site of the derailment, five of its 10 workers were too sick to work on Tuesday, said its director, Howard Yang.

Yang explained that the company suspended its activities for almost a week due to the accident and subsequent release of vinyl chloride, a carcinogenic chemical that was purposely burned to avoid a possible explosion hazard and was carried on board the train.

CeramFab employees resumed work on February 13, but

about two days later "they started dropping like flies

," Yang said.

“People ended up with rashes, nausea, vomiting, nose bleeds, eye problems.

Lots of coughing and shortness of breath,” he explained.

“We sent many workers to the hospital to be examined and sure enough, in most cases it was a diagnosis of 'chemical bronchitis.'

They were given five different types of drugs, including steroids.

Some have to use inhalers.

It is too bad".

The view from Wendy Snyder's home on February 3, the night the train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio.Wendy Snyder

NBC News was unable to independently verify the employees' diagnoses.

Deborah Weese, a nurse at Quickmed Columbiana, one of the closest urgent care clinics to East Palestine, said she has listed "exposure to potentially hazardous chemicals" as a possible cause of bronchitis or other ailments in patients who live or work near the facility. crash site.

Weese said he has been seeing between five and 10 people a day in the area with symptoms consistent with chemical exposure.

"They complain of burning in the lungs, runny nose, burning eyes, sore throat, unknown-looking rashes that have started since they returned home," he said.

[Hazardous chemical train issued critical alert for overheating axle just before derailing in Ohio]

Bronchitis is characterized by inflammation of the airways that often causes coughing and wheezing.

It's usually caused by a virus, but chemical bronchitis is caused by inhaling irritating chemicals, said Dr. John Balmes, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco and a spokesman for the American Lung Association.

“Anytime you burn chlorinated compounds, you get really nasty stuff capable of causing chemical bronchitis,” he explained.

The severity of the illness will depend on the amount of chemicals inhaled and whether the person has pre-existing conditions such as asthma.

According to Balmes, most experience the disappearance of symptoms in a few weeks or a couple of months, and long-term effects are unlikely, except in high-risk patients.

Apart from respiratory problems, some area residents

have reported headaches, nausea and skin rashes.

These may be symptoms of chemical exposure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which sent a team to East Palestine on Monday to interview people and investigate possible health problems. .

But doctors find it difficult to make direct links between these conditions and specific chemicals.

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“There are no laboratory or imaging tests.

It's actually a clinical suspicion of what it could be.

It's reasonable to say that if you have a rash, runny nose or dry eyes, it could be related.

Unfortunately, there's no way to know for sure," said Dr. James Kravec, clinical chief for Mercy Health in the cities of Youngstown and Lorraine, Ohio.

The Mercy Health network includes a primary care practice in East Palestine and a hospital 20 minutes from the city.

Kravec said the network has seen more patients from East Palestine in recent weeks than in months.

Oral or topical steroids are often the first course of treatment for people with chemical exposure rashes, he said.

[EPA Orders Norfolk Southern to Clean Up Ohio Train Derailment Site and Pay All Costs]

The full extent of the health consequences related to the accident is still unknown.

Some people living in the East Palestine area have reported feeling unwell but have not yet seen a doctor, and

certain long-term effects, such as cancer, can take decades to manifest.

Until Monday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) insisted that East Palestine's municipal water was potable.

Indoor air quality tests of more than 550 homes did not exceed safety standards, and air quality in the community remains "normal," according to the EPA.

Norfolk Southern Railway, which operated the derailed train, said in a statement that it is "committed to doing the right thing for the residents of East Palestine."

The company offered up to $8 million in donations or financial assistance, including $3.4 million for local families and a $1 million community relief fund.

It has also agreed to pay for all cleanup costs and to continue testing the air, water and soil.

The Ohio Department of Health Assessment Clinic mobile unit in East Palestine on February 21, 2023.Matthew Hatcher/Bloomberg via Getty Images

“If residents have or are experiencing symptoms that they are not used to, we strongly encourage them to see a trusted medical professional or visit the new health clinic that local, state and federal authorities are setting up in East Palestine,” a statement said. Norfolk Southern spokesperson.

Weese said that some of his patients have shown signs of prolonged exposure to chemicals.

“When they go home, their symptoms get worse,

their lungs burn more or they feel like they can't catch their breath, those kinds of problems.

So it's being consistently shown that when they leave (the hospital), they're better off.

When they come home, they feel worse,” he added.

[Toxic substances spilled in Ohio after train accident worry residents who have seen birds and thousands of fish die]

Salem Regional Medical Center, where Blake received medical care, said its emergency department had treated about 10 patients as of Wednesday who reported symptoms such as sore throats or breathing problems since the train derailment.

Wendy Snyder, a nurse who lives in East Palestine, said she has been experiencing a sore throat and a metallic taste in her mouth, which her doctor says "certainly seems to be related to her chemical exposure," according to a medical report reviewed by NBC News.

Snyder said his headaches get better when he goes to work at a Pennsylvania hospital, about 20 miles from his home.

“I don't feel safe in my own home,” she lamented.

"I'm afraid to be here."

An Ohio EPA Emergency Response worker checks for chemicals after the train derailment in East Palestine.Michael Swensen/Getty Images

In an appearance before the Pennsylvania Senate on Thursday, Lonnie Miller, a resident of East Palestine for nearly 30 years, testified that he has developed a rash on his face and is suffering from dizziness and burning eyes.

His house is located about a mile from the derailment site.

“One of my best friends has already been diagnosed with chemical bronchitis because she lives right next to the creek,” Miller told the hearing, referring to one of the city's contaminated water sources.

[50-car train derailment leaves huge fire, evacuates people in Ohio town]

Melissa Boyer, who lives less than 250 feet from the crash site, explained that her 19-year-old daughter is having trouble breathing and needs to use an inhaler several times a day.

Boyer stated that she also suffers from a persistent headache and burning mouth.

In her medical history, under treated matters, her doctor wrote: “toxic effect of gas exposure”.

“How can you say that our air or water quality is safe

when we have all these people with these symptoms and health problems?” Boyer asked.

Source: telemundo

All news articles on 2023-02-25

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