TORONTO, Ohio — Records from the City of Toronto show that butyl acrylate associated with the February 2023 East Palestine train derailment was detected in the Ohio River and in raw-water samples taken from several regional locations.
Testing conducted Feb. 8, 2023, showed butyl acrylate at 12.5 parts per billion at Lock 57 Park. Samples also showed 2.94 ppb at the Buckeye water treatment plant raw-water intake and 1.23 ppb at the Steubenville water treatment plant raw-water intake.
At Toronto’s raw-water intake, results were reported as less than 1.0 ppb, meaning the sample did not contain a quantifiable concentration at or above that reporting level.
The City of Toronto said the chemical traveled through waterways connected to the derailment site before reaching the Ohio River.
City officials said Toronto increased its use of powdered activated carbon and utilized other treatment measures as precautions. According to the city’s Feb. 14, 2023 statement, those processes were being used to remove butyl acrylate from raw water before it entered the finished drinking-water supply.
The records document conditions immediately following the February 2023 derailment and should not be interpreted as evidence that butyl acrylate is currently present in the region’s drinking water.
