EAST PALESTINE — Carnegie Mellon became the latest institution to take a closer look at how information from responding agencies was relayed to residents in East Palestine and surrounding communities impacted by the Feb. 3 train derailment.

In its most recent derailment newsletter, the Region 5 Environmental Protection Agency reported that “communication researchers from Carnegie Mellon University are looking for participants over the age of 18 to take part in a voluntary study looking to understand how residents of East Palestine have been receiving information and communicating about the risk posed by the train derailment and chemical release.” Residents interested in participating or wanting to obtain information are asked to contact Barbara George or Lisa Phillips at eastpalesinestudy@gmail.com or Mary Le Rouge at (216) 212-5131.

A study by a team of researchers from the University of Illinois Chicago, Cleveland State University and Purdue University “to “understand community members’ experiences related to water and home impacts after the East Palestine chemical spill and fires” is already underway. Data gathered in that study is intended to “identify public perceptions about water safety, as well as how the crisis has impacted their homes and environment and “how these experiences have impacted people’s behavior, including the effectiveness of communication from organizations, the level of trust in test results and where they seek out information.”

Leading that study are Andrew Whelton of Purdue, Clayton Wukich of Cleveland State and Lauryn Spearing of Illinois-Chicago. Information was collected through a now-closed survey that was open to people who lived or worked in Carroll, Columbiana, Jefferson, Mahoning, Stark or Trumbull counties in Ohio; Beaver, Lawrence or Mercer counties in Pennsylvania; or Hancock County in West Virginia on or after Feb. 3 who were willing to share their experiences.

In other study and survey news related to the train derailment and involving residents in multiple counties, University of Kentucky College of Public Health researcher Erin Haynes received a grant from the National Institutes of Health to conduct a long-term health assessment of communities affected by the rail disaster. That study began with a survey open to anyone 18 or older in Columbiana, Mahoning, Stark, Carroll, Jefferson, Beaver, Lawrence and Hancock counties. Questions about experiences during the evacuation, concerns about exposures and symptoms and derailment-related stress were included.

Haynes also brought a team to East Palestine to collect biological samples from residents and provide residents with wristbands that measure air quality in the surrounding environments.

In addition to Haynes’ study, the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine will hold a virtual public workshop today and Tuesday to explore potential health research and surveillance priorities arising from the train derailment.