Why One US State Now Has To Worry About Acid Rain
A train derailment and a subsequent explosion has left those located in and around East Palestine, Ohio at risk for acid rain.
In the days since officials conducted a controlled release of vinyl chloride from five derailed train cars near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border, concern over the quality of air in and around East Palestine has grown. Experts say the impact on life and property may not be felt for some time, with some worried about the possibility of acid rain.
The chemical release operation was approved by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. Speaking to NPR, he said the alternative was to wait until the train cars broke down on their own. But in that scenario, the toxic substances would have been difficult to manage. “We had to weigh different risks with no great choices,” he explained at the time, with no mention of acid rain.
Despite the evacuation, which extended to a two-mile area from the site, the village of 5,000 people is noticing serious environmental changes. Fish have turned up dead in streams, pets have died, and residents have experienced symptoms associated with exposure to toxic chemicals. Now that they can return to their homes, folks are worried about what comes next. Acid rain is yet to be reported.
The Environmental Protection Agency published a full list of acid rain-causing toxic chemicals released following the train crash. This includes vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate, ethylhexyl acrylate, and ethylene glycol monobutyl. “This is a truly enormous environmental disaster,” Atmospheric Chemist at the University of Melbourne, Gabriel da Silva told Newsweek.
Experts say the ecological impact of the toxic spill depends on the effectiveness and speed of clean-up operations. Principal Environmental Consultant at Downstream Strategies, Marc Glass says the gases are very volatile so they wouldn’t be in the air long enough to cause acid rain. However, he added that Phosgene is a very toxic gas. And once it enters the air exposure sometimes doesn’t show up immediately.
When announcing the end of the evacuation order, officials said that levels of toxic gases in the atmosphere were safe. Even at the crash site, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine described air quality readings as “similar to what they would have expected before the train wreck.” However, residents concerned about acid rain, have been complaining of headaches, burning eyes, and sore throats.
“Every time we went home our house reeked of chemicals,” East Palestine resident Kasie Locke told Newsweek. She evacuated the area with her young family, taking shelter in North Lima at the time of the controlled explosion. But after returning, they have all experienced exposure symptoms so Kasie has chosen not to bring her newborn baby home.
While there have been no reports of acid rain in the area so far, the possibility is very real. The dangerous precipitation forms when nitrogen oxides react in the atmosphere to increase the acidity of rainwater, WKBN reports. These toxins are usually produced by emissions from vehicles, factories, etc.
Vinyl chloride, which was released in East Palestine, can also cause acid rain. This occurs when it breaks down into hydrochloric acid, formaldehyde, and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This could theoretically increase the acidity of rainwater. But this would be difficult to measure without the proper equipment.
