good points. norfolk southern released the contents of each car here: https://response.epa.gov/sites/15933/files/TRAIN%2032N%20-%20EAST%20PALESTINE%20-%20derail%20list%20Norfolk%20Southern%20document.pdf . looks like the benzene cars were empty, so there is a bright side, but benzene is nothing compared to vinyl chloride. some simple hydrocarbons as well as some ethers and esters, so those are some additional toxic and flammable contaminants. also a bunch of tankers were filled with glycols which arent haz class but they are still toxic (actually some of the glycols are nontoxic, but diethylene glycol, of which there were 3 cars, is pretty toxic)
i would have thought that you need something with a phenyl group to form dioxins and those benzene tankers being empty was really lucky, but chemistry at really high heat is truly an enigma so ig dioxins will form :(
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good points. norfolk southern released the contents of each car here: https://response.epa.gov/sites/15933/files/TRAIN%2032N%20-%20EAST%20PALESTINE%20-%20derail%20list%20Norfolk%20Southern%20document.pdf . looks like the benzene cars were empty, so there is a bright side, but benzene is nothing compared to vinyl chloride. some simple hydrocarbons as well as some ethers and esters, so those are some additional toxic and flammable contaminants. also a bunch of tankers were filled with glycols which arent haz class but they are still toxic (actually some of the glycols are nontoxic, but diethylene glycol, of which there were 3 cars, is pretty toxic)
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i would have thought that you need something with a phenyl group to form dioxins and those benzene tankers being empty was really lucky, but chemistry at really high heat is truly an enigma so ig dioxins will form :(