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Toxic Tuesdays

A citizen science effort to understand arsenic contamination in drinking water

Toxic Tuesdays

CHEJ highlights several toxic chemicals and the communities fighting to keep their citizens safe from harm.

A citizen science effort to understand arsenic contamination in drinking water

Arsenic is a naturally-occurring element found in the Earth’s crust. It has some industrial uses through which people can become exposed to it. In some places, like northern New England, arsenic is present in bedrock, and drinking water wells drilled in these areas can expose people to arsenic in their water. Arsenic is classified as a human carcinogen, meaning exposure to it can cause cancer. Skin, liver, bladder, and lung cancer are the most commonly reported cancer types. In northern New England states (Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont), mortality rates from bladder cancer are much higher than they are across the US as a whole, and it is thought that the reason is long-term exposure to arsenic in well water. Some wells in these states have arsenic levels over 1,000 times the safe limit set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Arsenic exposure through well water is a serious concern, but the full extent of the problem in northern New England isn’t known. This is because it is difficult to test all drinking water sources in a large, rural geographic area, and because about half of homes in Maine and New Hampshire receive water from private wells which are not subject to regulation by the government. A recent study called the All About Arsenic (AAA) program used citizen science to collect data on arsenic in well water in Maine and New Hampshire and help raise community awareness about mitigating arsenic exposure.

Citizen science is scientific research conducted with the participation of the general public. Research has shown that citizen science can generate new knowledge, create learning opportunities for participants, strengthen community relationships, promote participation in civic life, and address environmental health concerns. In the AAA program, the researchers recruited teachers from a large geographic area in Maine and New Hampshire and paired them with scientist partners from nearby colleges. They developed water sample kits for the teachers’ students to use to collect water samples from their homes and their neighbors’ homes. Samples were analyzed for metals by scientists and results were shared with the teacher and student participants. Teachers and students then prepared community education materials so that classmates, parents, neighbors, local news, and local elected officials would know and understand the results.

The AAA program recruited a total of 31 teachers and 4,859 middle and high school students. Students collected 3,070 drinking water samples from 2016-2022, and 15% exceeded the EPA’s limit for arsenic in drinking water. These samples represented a significant increase in wells in Maine and New Hampshire that now have data regarding their arsenic levels. In some towns, the AAA program more than doubled the number of samples the states previously had. In other towns the AAA sampled, the states previously had no data. In one town, before the AAA program it was not known that arsenic levels exceeded the EPA’s limit. Consistent with the idea that the source of arsenic in these samples is from bedrock, samples that receive water from drilled wells tended to have higher arsenic concentrations.

The AAA researchers used surveys and interviews to follow up with some households whose water was sampled. Of 72 households surveyed, 29 (40%) took actions to mitigate their exposure to arsenic in their water after receiving their sampling results. Some survey respondents said they had no prior knowledge about arsenic in their well water. Mitigating actions included upgrading their systems, installing point-of-use filters, and using bottled water for drinking. Interviews with households confirmed that the AAA program had direct public health and educational impacts on those that participated in the study. Interviewees specifically mentioned that health risks to their families and children were their main concerns that drove their decision-making after receiving their sampling results.

The AAA program provides valuable insights beyond simply generating more data. It shows that are ways to collect data and disseminate information in communities – like large rural areas – that have been previously underserved by public health agencies. It also demonstrates that communities can and should be crucial partners in every stage of the process, not simply as study subjects. The AAA program involved teachers and students in study design, sample collection, sample analysis, communication of results, and community education, reflecting a true citizen science partnership. Finally, the study demonstrates that there is more environmental exposure to toxic chemicals than we have previously been aware of. Data collection alone won’t change this, so taking action to protect communities is essential. The AAA program shows that when given information about their potential arsenic exposure, many residents took action to protect themselves. However, relying on individual residents to spend time and money on their own arsenic mitigation strategies cannot be the only solution. Using data like that collected in the AAA program, local, state, and federal agencies must monitor, regulate, and provide mitigation equipment for private water wells like they do for public wells. This will be the best way to keep communities safe from arsenic in their drinking water.

CHEJ has previously written about other sources of arsenic exposure here.

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Two Year Anniversary of the Train Derailment in East Palestine, OH

A sign on West Main Street in East Palestine, Ohio, photographed on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. Alexandra Wimley/Pittsburgh Union Progress

By Stephen Lester.

Earlier this month marked the two-year anniversary of the horrific train derailment and the subsequent burning of train cars that changed the lives of pretty much everyone who lives in East Palestine, OH. The decision by Norfolk Southern to intentionally burn 5 tanker cars carrying vinyl chloride and other toxic chemicals released a toxic cloud of chemicals into the community.

The community marked the two-year anniversary by holding several events while awaiting Vice-President JD Vance, former senator for Ohio who visited that day. Vance’s message was that East Palestine “will not be forgotten.“ But outside the press conference, the group Justice for East Palestine Residents and Workers held a protest with signs saying, “Stop the Cover-up” and “We are still sick.” Residents expressed hope that Vance might meet with them directly and listen to their concerns and pleas for help.

Earlier the group held a national meeting of residents, workers and trade unionists to demand that residents be given healthcare through the declaration of East Palestine as a “mass incident casualty site” under the Stafford Act that would provide victims with federally funded healthcare and money to relocate from their toxic homes.

The situation in East Palestine remains fragile for many residents who continue to try to make sense of the many adverse health symptoms people are still experiencing, such as unexplained rashes, asthma, coughing and more, despite assurances from EPA that everything is fine. The biggest questions that remain unanswered are about the long-term health consequences of the accident. Thousands of people were exposed to many chemicals in the toxic cloud including dioxin, one of the most potent carcinogens ever tested. People want to know what is going to happen to their children and to their families. Some like Jamie Wallace, feel that things are beyond repair, that East Palestine will never be the same again, “it will never be the East Palestine that we knew and loved, it will never be home again.”  

The ongoing legal battles continue in the community. The village accepted a $22 million settlement with Norfolk Southern to “strengthen the future of our community,” according to the mayor. This settlement brought the total funds given to the village by Norfolk Southern to more than $60 million. Meanwhile, the $600 million dollar class action settlement between the residents and Norfolk Southern is on hold because of an appeal filed by many of the people named in the lawsuit. Some residents we outraged to learn that the settlement called for each family, whether there were two people in the family or six, to receive a lump sum payment of $70,000 less any temporary relocation costs that the family might have already received from the rail company. Many believe that the settlement does not do enough to compensate the residents for possible future health effects. People are concerned about developing cancer and other serious ailments in the future. They also want to know what the lawyers uncovered during their investigation so they can better judge the risks. Oddly, the judge overseeing the case ordered the residents who are appealing the settlement to put up $850,00 bond to continue their appeal. This order is also being appealed. According to local news reports, at least nine other lawsuits have been filed including one on the day of the anniversary alleging that people have died because of the train derailment. 

CHEJ’s Science Director Stephen Lester participated in a Town Hall meeting shortly after the accident and CHEJ has been involved since providing science and organizing support to the residents.

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What Are The Health Impacts Of The Los Angeles Wildfires?

A New Study Is Being Launched

By Sharon Franklin.

The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health announced in a recent article by Todd Datz, a multi-institutional collaboration study, L.A. Fire HEALTH Study.  This study is being undertaken by researchers from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Davis, the University of Texas/Austin and T.H. Chan School of Public Health, all of which have expertise in environmental exposure assessment, health outcomes, wildfire risk assessment, management, and data science.  https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/long-term-multi-institutional-study-on-health-impacts-of-los-angeles-wildfires-launched/

The study’s focus will be on wildfire hazards, similar to the ones currently on-going in the Los Angeles, California and other urban areas, which have unique hazards arising from incinerated buildings, cars, and products.  All of which can expose people to particulate gases, chemicals, heavy metals, asbestos, PFAS, microplastics, and other toxic pollutants.  These potential health hazard exposure that can impact millions include:

  • Acute respiratory symptoms and worsening of lung conditions, (asthma and COPD),
  • Neurological impacts, (headaches and cognitive issues),
  • Cardiovascular effects, (increased risk of heart disease and stroke),
  • Immune system disruption,
  • Reproductive health concerns, and
  • Increased cancer risk.

Anthony Wexler, Director of Air Quality Research UC Davis, stated “Air pollutants, such as those from wildfires, are linked to short-term health problems such as asthma and longer-term ones such as Alzheimer’s disease”.  Michael Jerrett, Professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health stated “Here in Los Angeles, we know that communities need accurate and timely information about what individuals and families can do to prevent and mitigate health effects from fires, both in the near- and long-term,” … “With this study we can supply sound science to help residents repopulate and rebuild their neighborhoods safely, and for the first time, we can learn about the long-term health effects of wildfires.”

Kari Nadeau, a practicing physician, at Harvard Medical School, and also a professor at Harvard Chan School, saidThis was an environmental and health disaster that will unfold over decades,” and“ By bringing together experts from across multiple institutions and disciplines, we can rigorously examine the health effects from the wildfires’ toxic particles and gases that have spread hundreds of miles beyond the fire zones and provide the communities with this information in real time.”

What Are the Study’s Goals?     

To distribute the findings to civilians, firefighters, businesses, researchers, and government agencies.

  • To examine which pollutants are present,
    • at what levels, where, and
    • how they change over time;
  • To determine if the fires and aftermath are associated with chronic health effects in the nearby populations;
  • To share evidence-based, rapid answers to the affected communities; and
  • To distribute the findings to civilians, firefighters, businesses, researchers, and government agencies.
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Toxic Tuesdays

Toxaphene

Toxic Tuesdays

CHEJ highlights several toxic chemicals and the communities fighting to keep their citizens safe from harm.

Toxaphene

Toxaphene is a pesticide made up of a mixture of hundreds of different chemicals. It is a yellow, waxy solid that smells like pine. In the 1970s it was the most commonly used pesticide in the United States, used primarily in southern states on cotton crops. Toxaphene use was banned in the US in 1990, and banned internationally in an environmental treaty in 2001.

Although toxaphene is no longer in use, it is still in the environment today. There are hazardous waste sites containing toxaphene, and at least 68 Superfund sites are known to have it. When it enters the environment, it is most likely to be found in air, soil, or sediment at the bottom of bodies of water. It can travel long distances in air, leading to contamination of large geographic areas. Toxaphene doesn’t break down easily, so once it’s in the environment it persists for a long time. Toxaphene also bioaccumulates, so it builds up in the fatty tissues of fish and mammals that ingest it.

Today, people living near waste sites contaminated with toxaphene are the most likely to become exposed to it through breathing contaminated air, touching contaminated soil, or drinking contaminated water. Eating fish or mammals from contaminated areas can also lead to toxaphene exposure. High exposure through any of these scenarios can lead to brain, liver, kidney, and lung damage. In extreme cases, it can cause seizures and death. In studies of laboratory animals, toxaphene exposure caused liver cancer. The US Environmental Protection Agency determined that toxaphene probably causes cancer in humans as well. Banning toxaphene use was a good way to prevent widespread exposure, but toxaphene’s persistence in the environment means that people are still exposed to it today.

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Best Practices for Communicating with Policy Makers

By Leila Waid.

In January 2025, The Lancet Planetary Health journal published a literature review article outlining the best practices advocates should utilize when conducting outreach efforts with policymakers. The article, titled “Communicating with policymakers about climate change, health, and their intersection,” synthesizes lessons learned from over 139 peer-reviewed studies about how to persuade policymakers to address environmental justice issues effectively.

The main takeaways include the need to effectively tailor the message, choose the best message avenue, prepare in advance to address and limit pushback, and utilize social media and community resources.

How the message is delivered to the policymaker is the most important factor in how successful the communication will be. It’s crucial to analyze your audience to understand if they would be more impacted by human-driven stories or if they are looking for empirical data and evidence instead. For example, if you are advocating for a clean-up of a superfund site in your community, would the policymaker you are appealing to care more about the emotional, physical, and mental toll the environmental injustice has caused the community? Or would they instead want you to present them with statistics about how much the town residents spend on healthcare costs? How will you frame your issue? For example, the researchers found that discussing climate change in the context of how it impacts an individual’s health was found to be especially effective.

Overall, it’s vital that the message, regardless of what approach is used, is short, concise, and timely. Additionally, while it is important that the argument you are making is grounded in evidence and research, that alone is rarely enough to propel a policymaker into action. Take, for example, the issue of climate change and the need to shift to a green, regenerative economy. There are countless pieces of evidence and articles from researchers all over the world discussing the need for this urgent action. However, legislation at the international, national, state, and local levels has not moved swiftly enough.

The researchers also found that who delivers the message is just as important as what the message is. It is common for health communication campaigns to utilize celebrities, or influencers, to make their message seem more trustworthy. Similarly, when reaching out to a policy maker it is important to consider who can evoke respect and admiration from the policymaker – who can be the “influencer” in your campaign.

Another critical factor to consider when tailoring the message is how you present it. Are you conducting a letter-writing campaign, calling the representative, attending legislative hearings, writing policy briefs, hosting events for policymakers to attend, or utilizing the power of social media? The researchers found that utilizing more than one type of approach to communicating with the policymaker is important.

Another common theme found through the literature review is the importance of coalition building and focusing on fostering long-term alliances with the policymaker. Strengthening ties with policymakers can make them more amenable to your communication efforts. Reaching out to policymakers who are sympathetic to the environmental justice cause can help you strengthen your coalition and outreach efforts to other legislators.

Before you even get to the message tailoring phase or figure out the logistics of your communication campaign, it’s essential first to take a moment to ask important questions during the planning phase. Based on their research into this topic, the authors created a list of questions that all advocates should be prepared to answer before beginning their communication campaign:

Advancing policy towards climate and environmental justice is a slow process, with incremental gains and setbacks along the way. And even though, at the national level, the priorities seem to shifting away from environmental justice, it is important to not get discouraged and continue to advocate at the state and local levels. After all, grassroots advocates are intimately aware that change happens from the bottom up, not from the top down.