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This dataset includes anonymized survey data collected in communities affected by the East Palestine train derailment, chemical spill, and fires. The survey was designed to capture community perceptions and experiences related to air, water, and soil sampling and testing; household and built environment impacts; and protective actions taken. Participants were eligible to participate if they were 18 years or older and lived or worked in an affected county as of February 3, 2023—the day of the derailment. The survey was open from July 20 to September 20, 2023, approximately six months after the incident. See "Notes" below for more details on the methods. The research was reviewed and approved by the Human Subjects in Research Ethics boards at the authors’ universities. This research is supported by the National Science Foundation (Award #2329409). 

Complex industrial disasters illustrate the challenges of underdeveloped public warning systems. Unlike most natural disasters, quickly identifying hazardous materials and assessing their threats is crucial for developing protective action recommendations (PARs) that guide household response in industrial crises. The 2023 East Palestine, Ohio (USA) train derailment, chemical spill, and fires revealed that gaps in rapidly identifying hazardous materials, and the threats they present, can severely impact the public warning system. As the crisis unfolded, responding agencies left crucial questions unanswered, leaving community members uncertain about their safety, the extent of environmental contamination, and what protective actions to take. It is imperative to study the drivers of household protective actions in the absence of a developed warning system and well-established PARS. To achieve this, we conducted a community survey in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia (n = 259) in response to the East Palestine crisis. We used multivariate logistic regressions to identify statistically significant explanatory factors that predict protective action response. Our findings reveal gaps in response, where challenges identifying and communicating hazards created environmental justice concerns. We provide policy recommendations to strengthen hazard identification and outline further work to include equity as a pillar of environmental disaster response. 

To understand community impacts and needs after the August 2023 Maui wildfires, we conducted a rapid survey-based field investigation two weeks after the incident. During the fires, municipal water customers were warned not to use their water due to potential drinking water contamination. Household displacement and isolation of some impacted areas limited extensive study participation. Households (14) in the affected areas were visited and surveyed about property characteristics, evacuation, water use, and water quality observations. Publicly available test results from Maui County and the University of Hawai'i were also reviewed. Opportunistically, wildfire impacts to agricultural water systems were documented. Half of the households had property damage, and all lost power and used drinking water before being notified that it was potentially contaminated. Nearly all households expressed confusion about allowable water use activities and health risks. Most households noticed water issues after the evacuation order was lifted, and some acquired and used at-home drinking water test kits. None of these kits could find all previously identified fire-related chemicals. Damage to agricultural water systems was similar to damage seen for residential systems. Recommendations to lessen impacts and expedite community response and recovery from wildfires are provided. 

The increasing prevalence of hazardous chemical incidents in the United States necessitates the implementation of analytically robust, rapid, and reliable screening techniques for toxicant mixture analysis to understand short- and long-term health impacts of environmental exposures. A recent chemical disaster in East Palestine, Ohio has underscored the importance of thorough contamination assessment. On February 03, 2023, a Norfolk Southern train derailment prompted a chemical spill and fires. An open burn involving over 100,000 gal of vinyl chloride was conducted three days later. Hazardous compounds were released into air, water, and soil. To provide time-sensitive exposure data for emergency response, this study outlines a novel methodology for rapid characterization of chemical contamination of environmental media to support disaster response efforts. A controlled static headspace sampling system, in conjunction with a high-resolution proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer (PTR-TOF-MS), was developed to characterize volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in surface water samples collected near the East Palestine train derailment site. Spatial variations were observed in the chemical composition of surface water samples collected at different locations. Hydrocarbons were found to be the most abundant chemical group of all surface water samples, contributing 50 % to 97 % to the total headspace VOC mass. Compounds commonly detected in surface water samples, including benzene, styrene, xylene, and methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) were also observed in most surface water samples, with aqueous concentrations typically at ng/L levels. This study demonstrated the potential of the proposed methodology to be applied for rapid field screening of volatile chemicals in water samples in order to enable fast emergency response to chemical disasters and environmental hazards. 

The East Palestine, Ohio train derailment released toxic vinyl chloride (VC) and butyl acrylate (BA), which entered the watershed. Streambed sediment, surface water, and private well water samples were collected 128 and 276 days postaccident to assess the natural attenuation potential of VC and BA by quantifying biodegradation biomarker genes and conducting microcosm treatability studies. qPCR detected the aerobic VC degradation biomarkers etnC in ∼40% and etnE in ∼27% of sediments collected in both sampling campaigns in abundances reaching 10e5 gene copies g−1. The 16S rRNA genes of organohalide-respiring Dehalococcoides and Dehalogenimonas were, respectively, detected in 50 and 64% of sediment samples collected 128 days postaccident and in 63 and 88% of sediment samples collected 276 days postaccident, in abundances reaching 10e7 cells g−1. Elevated detection frequencies of VC degradation biomarker genes were measured immediately downstream of the accident site (i.e., Sulphur Run). Aerobic VC degradation occurred in all sediment microcosms and coincided with increases of etnC/etnE genes and Mycobacterium, a genus comprising aerobic VC degraders. The conversion of VC to ethene and an increased abundance of VC reductive dechlorination biomarker genes were observed in microcosms established with sediments collected from Sulphur Run. All anoxic microcosms rapidly degraded BA to innocuous products with intermediate formation of n- butanol and acrylate. The results indicate that microbiomes in the East Palestine watershed have natural attenuation capacity for VC and BA. Recommendations are made to improve first-response actions in future contaminant release accidents of this magnitude. 

In February 2023, a train derailment in Ohio caused a chemical spill and fires releasing contaminants into the air, soil, waterways, and buildings. 

Air-discharged waste from commonly used trenchless technologies of sewer pipe repairs is an emerging and poorly characterized source of urban pollution. 

Three buildings that were repurposed for use as an elementary school were shutdown for three months in response to the pandemic. Building cold and hot water quality was monitored before reopening to detect and resolve chemical and microbiological problems. The authors collected first draw pre-flush and post-flush water samples. First draw water samples did not contain detectable disinfectant residual, but nickel and lead sometimes exceeded the health-based action limits for cold water (max. 144 μg Ni/L, 3.4 μg Pb/L). Stagnant cold water at a bathroom sink (188 MPN/100 mL) and drinking water fountain (141.6 MPN/100 mL), in the same building, exceeded the L . pneumophila thresholds advised by the World Health Organization (WHO) (10 CFU/mL) and American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) (100 CFU/mL). Fixture flushing was conducted to remove cold and hot stagnant water and no L . pneumophila was detected immediately after flushing. Two weeks after no subsequent building water use, chemical and microbiological contaminant levels were found to be similar to levels prior to flushing with one exception. The maximum L . pneumophila level (kitchen sink, hot water: 61.1 MPN/100 mL) was found in a different building than the prior maximum detections. No repeat positive locations for L . pneumophila were found during the second visit, but new fixtures were positive the organism. When this study was conducted no evidence-based guidelines for plumbing recommissioning were available. A single plumbing flush reduced heavy metal and L . pneumophila levels below WHO and AIHA thresholds in all three buildings. Additional work is needed to examine the role of building size, type and plumbing design on fixture water quality in shutdown buildings. 

Residential buildings provide unique conditions for opportunistic premise plumbing pathogen (OPPP) exposure via aerosolized water droplets produced by showerheads, faucets, and tubs. The objective of this review was to critically evaluate the existing literature that assessed the impact of potentially enhancing conditions to OPPP occurrence associated with residential plumbing and to point out knowledge gaps. Comprehensive studies on the topic were found to be lacking. Major knowledge gaps identified include the assessment of OPPP growth in the residential plumbing, from building entry to fixtures, and evaluation of the extent of the impact of typical residential plumbing design (e.g., trunk and branch and manifold), components (e.g., valves and fixtures), water heater types and temperature setting of operation, and common pipe materials (copper, PEX, and PVC/CPVC). In addition, impacts of the current plumbing code requirements on OPPP responses have not been assessed by any study and a lack of guidelines for OPPP risk management in residences was identified. Finally, the research required to expand knowledge on OPPP amplification in residences was discussed.