In East Palestine, residents are still concerned about the health and wellbeing of themselves and their pets following last year’s train derailment. To address these concerns, a study conducted by the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School is drawing blood from dogs in the area to test for chemical exposure. This study could help detect early warning signs of health effects in both dogs and humans.
Resident Lonnie Miller brought her dog named Chevy in for testing after noticing that her dog had developed lumps that were not present a year and a half ago. This study is crucial as it can help identify health effects in dogs, which may serve as indicators for potential health issues in humans.
Frances Chen, a researcher and assistant professor at the Chan Medical School, explained that the blood draw from dogs is part of an ongoing study that sends out passive sampling tags to participants to detect up to 1500 different types of chemicals in the air. Miller decided to have her dog participate in the study to help provide valuable information for future scenarios involving chemical exposure that could impact both pets and humans.
Miller emphasized how much the train derailment has affected every aspect of life in the community. She highlighted the importance of being a voice for pets who cannot speak for themselves and advocated for further research to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. The study conducted by the Chan Medical School aims to contribute to better understanding the impacts of chemical exposure on both dogs and humans in East Palestine.
Overall, this study highlights how important it is to address health concerns following such events, especially when it comes to chemical exposure. It also underscores how vital it is to have ongoing research to better understand these impacts on both animals and humans alike.
