They Picked Your Poison

Hey, did you hear about the train derailment in Ohio? Yeah, me too. And as easy as it can be to detach from tragedies of the world because it’s not in our backyard, let’s focus on this one a bit, because it affects millions.

What Happened again?

I’ll summarize the plot, in case you live under a rock or in the clouds (neither of which is safe anymore). A train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. Those toxic chemicals ended up being released into water in that town. Let’s talk about those chemicals for just a second. I swear, we’ll get to why this is important for you and your family.

Facts about the contaminants

• It says here that vinyl chloride exposure is associated with an increased risk of a rare form of liver cancer (hepatic angiosarcoma), as well as primary liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma), brain and lung cancers, lymphoma, and leukemia.

• The CDC says here that if you have repeated contact with butyl acrylate could result in itching, swelling, redness, and oozing. Great.

• This website here talks all about what ethylhexyl acrylate is used for (construction), its characteristics, and how toxic it is. One of the residents of East Palestine talked on camera about how there’s a “nasty, sweet smell” in the town. Hm, good to know.

• This government chemical website says that ethylene glycol monobutyl ether is harmful, and can cause serious or permanent damage.

• Isobutylene can cause headache, dizziness, lightheadedness and fatigue. Higher levels can cause coma and death. Didn’t make that up, read it here.

How does this affect me?

Great question. Well, the water that those contaminants were spilled into, flows into the Ohio River. And who drinks the water from the Ohio River? Oh, about 5 million people. So, if you plan on taking a trip to Nashville, don’t drink the water. They’ll tell you it’s from the Cumberland River and safe, but that flows from where? Ohio River. Want to visit the Kentucky Derby? Careful, the Ohio River runs on the border of Kentucky, so I’m not sure about their water either.