East Palestine Community-Engaged Environmental Exposure, Health Data, and Biospecimen Bank

On February 3, 2023, a freight train carrying vinyl chloride (VC) and other chemicals derailed in East Palestine,
OH. VC leaked into the air, soil, surface water, and groundwater, potentially impacting indoor air and drinking
water. Population characteristics: East Palestine Village- 5000 people: 94% white, 21% are 65 years and older,
no residential mobility (1%), 10% veterans, median income $44,500, and 9.1% poverty. Residents are
increasingly concerned about returning home and the long-term effects on their health and environment. Most
of our understanding of the impact of VC exposure on human health is derived from occupational exposure
studies. Environmental disasters can result in chronic psycho-social stress, further negatively impacting health
outcomes in at-risk individuals. Psycho-social stress increases organismal inflammation and enhances organ
damage, including cardiometabolic disease. The purpose of this time-sensitive proposal is to deploy a
community-engaged approach to collect, bank and analyze a subsample of environmental- biospecimen- and
psychosocial stress data to mitigate the immediate and long-term impacts of exposures to VC and other VOCs
spilled during the derailment disaster. Aim 1. Embed a community-engaged approach to address
environmental- and health concerns. From study design to dissemination of results, we will deploy citizen
science strategies to actively engage community members in collecting environmental samples, biospecimens
and health outcome data on the interaction of psycho-social stress and VC exposure. The study population will
consist of 300 participants living close to the spill and the contaminated surface water streams. Aim 2.
Characterize environmental exposure risks to VC and PFAS. Outdoors: surface water, soil and sediment
samples of key sites where the greatest exposure risks exist. Residential sampling: air and well water samples
will be collected from 100 homes, supplied by both municipal and artesian wells. Sampling instruments will
include traditional indoor air samples. Geospatial analyses will be conducted to determine and predict
dispersion/drainage patterns. Environmental samples will be collected and banked annually for 2 years. Aim 3.
Collect baseline biomarker- and psychosocial data. Blood and urine samples will be collected annually from
300 participants and semi- annually in a subset of 150 to assess liver damage over time and banked for future
biomarker- and mechanistic studies. Biomarker analyses will be conducted in a subset of participants guided by
geospatial “heatmaps” of the indoor exposure continuum. To measure psychosocial stress, we will collaborate
with community leaders to select instruments in the DR2 portfolio, including PSS, PHQ-9 and GAD-7.
Anticipated impact.1) Time-sensitive environmental-and biobanking will expeditiously mitigate exposure risks
in an underserved community; 2) the banked samples serve as valuable baseline data for more comprehensive
cohort studies examining the cumulative impact of exposures to chemical and non-chemical stressors;3) early
community engagement helps build trust and collaboration now and in the future.

Grant Number: 5R21ES036032-02
NIH Institute/Center: NIH
Principal Investigator: Juliane Beier