What are dioxins and did the Ohio train crash release them into the air? | CBC News

Following a 38-train car derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, U.S. senators from the state sent a letter to the state\’s environmental protection agency expressing concern that dioxins may have been released when some of the chemicals in the damaged railcars were deliberately burned for safety reasons. Dioxins are highly toxic, persistent compounds created through combustion and attach to dust particles. Exposure to high concentrations can cause skin inflammation. The main pathway that dioxin gets into human bodies is through consumption of meat, dairy, fish and shellfish contaminated by the substance. Experts agree that burning vinyl chloride does create dioxins and that the accident could have created them. Dioxins can stick around in soil for decades and accumulate up the food chain in oils and other fats. They have been linked with cancer, developmental problems in children and reproductive issues and infertility in adults. Testing for dioxins is important to determine the extent to which they are present in the soil and the surrounding area and to reassure the community.



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