Are chiggers present in Ohio lawns. How can homeowners identify a chigger infestation. What are effective methods for controlling and preventing chiggers. How do chigger bites affect humans and pets.

Understanding Chiggers: Tiny Pests with a Big Impact

Chiggers, also known as berry bugs or harvest mites, are microscopic arachnids that can cause significant discomfort to humans and animals. These tiny creatures, closely related to ticks, are prevalent in Ohio and can quickly infest residential lawns and outdoor areas. Despite their small size, chiggers can have a considerable impact on the enjoyment of outdoor spaces.

Identifying Chiggers

Chiggers are nearly invisible to the naked eye, measuring less than 1/150th of an inch in length. They have a distinctive bright reddish-orange color, setting them apart from other mites. These tiny arachnids are typically found in moist, bushy areas, making residential lawns an ideal habitat.

The Chigger Life Cycle

Understanding the chigger life cycle is crucial for effective control. Adult chiggers do not bite humans or animals. It’s the larval stage, known as the “baby chiggers,” that causes problems. These larvae attach to hosts, including humans and pets, to feed on skin cells. After feeding for a few days, they drop off and continue their life cycle in the environment.

Chigger Bites: Symptoms and Effects

Chigger bites can cause significant discomfort and are often mistaken for other insect bites. Understanding the symptoms can help in early identification and treatment.

Recognizing Chigger Bites

Chigger bites typically appear as:

• Small, red bumps on the skin
• Intensely itchy areas
• Clustered bites, often around the waist, ankles, or in warm skin folds
• Bites that may resemble pimples, blisters, or small hives

Health Implications of Chigger Bites

While chigger bites are generally not dangerous, they can cause significant discomfort. In some cases, excessive scratching may lead to secondary bacterial infections. People with sensitive skin or allergies may experience more severe reactions to chigger bites.

Chigger Habitats: Where Do They Thrive in Ohio?

Chiggers are well-adapted to various environments in Ohio, but they have specific habitat preferences that homeowners should be aware of to effectively control infestations.

Preferred Environments

Chiggers typically thrive in:

• Moist, shaded areas
• Tall grass and weedy patches
• Leaf litter and dense vegetation
• Areas near lakes, streams, and other water sources
• Forest edges and transitional zones

Seasonal Activity

In Ohio, chigger activity peaks during the warmer months, typically from late spring through early fall. Understanding this seasonal pattern is crucial for implementing timely control measures.

Identifying a Chigger Infestation in Your Yard

Detecting a chigger infestation early can prevent widespread problems and reduce the risk of bites. While chiggers are difficult to see, there are signs that can indicate their presence.

Signs of Chigger Presence

Look for the following indicators:

1. Unexplained itchy bites after spending time outdoors
2. Pets scratching excessively after being in the yard
3. Areas of lawn with stunted grass growth
4. Presence of small, red dots on light-colored surfaces in affected areas

Confirming an Infestation

To confirm a chigger infestation, you can:

• Use a magnifying glass to inspect vegetation in suspected areas
• Place a white sheet or card on the ground for a few minutes and check for tiny moving specks
• Consult with a professional pest control service for a thorough inspection

Effective Chigger Control Strategies for Ohio Homeowners

Controlling chiggers requires a multi-faceted approach that combines professional treatments with homeowner efforts. Implementing these strategies can significantly reduce chigger populations and minimize the risk of bites.

Professional Chigger Control Services

Hiring a professional lawn care service is often the most effective way to address a chigger infestation. These experts can:

• Conduct a thorough property inspection to identify chigger hotspots
• Apply targeted, high-quality insecticides designed to eliminate chiggers
• Provide ongoing treatment programs to prevent reinfestation
• Offer advice on landscape management to reduce chigger-friendly habitats

DIY Chigger Control Measures

While professional services are highly effective, homeowners can also take steps to control chiggers:

1. Regularly mow lawns and trim vegetation to reduce moisture and shade
2. Remove leaf litter and other organic debris from the yard
3. Create barriers between wooded areas and the lawn using gravel or wood chips
4. Apply diatomaceous earth to affected areas as a natural deterrent
5. Use sulfur powder in garden beds and around the property perimeter

Preventing Chigger Infestations: Long-term Strategies

Prevention is key to maintaining a chigger-free property. By implementing long-term strategies, homeowners can significantly reduce the likelihood of chigger infestations and create an environment less hospitable to these pests.

Landscape Management

Proper landscape management is crucial for chigger prevention:

• Maintain a well-manicured lawn with regular mowing
• Prune shrubs and trees to increase sunlight and reduce moisture
• Eliminate overgrown areas and dense vegetation
• Improve drainage in low-lying areas to reduce moisture
• Consider planting chigger-repelling plants like marigolds or chrysanthemums

Ongoing Prevention Programs

Enrolling in a professional chigger prevention program can provide long-term protection. These programs typically include:

1. Regular property inspections
2. Scheduled treatments throughout the chigger season
3. Customized prevention strategies based on your property’s specific needs
4. Expert advice on maintaining a chigger-resistant landscape

Protecting Yourself and Your Pets from Chigger Bites

While controlling chiggers in your yard is essential, it’s also important to take personal protective measures when spending time outdoors. These strategies can help reduce the risk of chigger bites for both humans and pets.

Personal Protection Strategies

When venturing into chigger-prone areas:

• Wear long sleeves, long pants, and closed-toe shoes
• Tuck pants into socks to create a barrier
• Apply insect repellent containing DEET or permethrin to clothing and exposed skin
• Avoid sitting directly on the ground; use a blanket or chair
• Shower and wash clothing immediately after outdoor activities

Protecting Pets from Chiggers

To safeguard your pets from chigger bites:

1. Apply pet-safe insect repellents before outdoor activities
2. Regularly groom pets, especially after they’ve been in potentially infested areas
3. Consider keeping pets indoors during peak chigger season
4. Consult with a veterinarian about preventive treatments for outdoor pets

Understanding Chigger Behavior and Biology

A deeper understanding of chigger behavior and biology can inform more effective control and prevention strategies. This knowledge can help homeowners anticipate chigger activity and take proactive measures.

Chigger Feeding Habits

Contrary to popular belief, chiggers do not burrow into the skin or suck blood. Instead:

• They attach to the skin using tiny claws
• Chiggers inject saliva containing digestive enzymes into the skin
• These enzymes break down skin cells, which the chiggers then consume
• The feeding process typically lasts for several days before the chigger detaches

Environmental Factors Affecting Chigger Populations

Several environmental factors influence chigger populations and activity:

1. Temperature: Chiggers are most active when temperatures are between 77°F and 86°F
2. Humidity: They thrive in environments with relative humidity above 60%
3. Vegetation density: Dense, low-lying vegetation provides ideal habitat
4. Soil moisture: Moist soil is preferred for egg-laying and larval development
5. Host availability: Areas frequented by potential hosts (humans or animals) attract chiggers

Innovative Approaches to Chigger Control in Ohio

As research into pest control advances, new and innovative approaches to managing chigger populations are emerging. These methods offer promising alternatives or supplements to traditional control strategies.

Biological Control Methods

Biological control methods for chiggers are gaining attention:

• Predatory mites that feed on chigger larvae
• Nematodes that parasitize chiggers in the soil
• Fungal pathogens that can infect and kill chiggers

Technological Innovations

Emerging technologies are offering new ways to detect and control chiggers:

1. Remote sensing techniques to identify potential chigger habitats
2. Automated mowing systems that maintain optimal grass height
3. Smart irrigation systems that prevent over-watering and reduce moisture
4. Pheromone-based traps to monitor and reduce chigger populations

Community-wide Chigger Management in Ohio

Effective chigger control often requires a coordinated effort beyond individual properties. Community-wide management strategies can significantly reduce chigger populations across larger areas.

Neighborhood Initiatives

Collaborative efforts at the neighborhood level can include:

• Coordinated treatment schedules among neighboring properties
• Community education programs on chigger prevention
• Shared resources for landscape management and pest control
• Group discounts for professional pest control services

Municipal Chigger Control Programs

Some Ohio municipalities are implementing chigger control programs in public spaces:

1. Regular monitoring and treatment of parks and recreational areas
2. Public awareness campaigns about chigger prevention
3. Integrated pest management strategies in municipal landscaping
4. Collaboration with local pest control experts to develop effective strategies

The Economic Impact of Chiggers in Ohio

While often overlooked, chiggers can have significant economic implications for Ohio residents and businesses. Understanding these impacts can help justify investment in comprehensive control measures.

Costs to Homeowners

Chigger infestations can lead to various expenses for homeowners:

• Professional pest control services
• Landscape modifications and maintenance
• Medical treatments for severe chigger bite reactions
• Reduced property value due to persistent infestations

Impact on Outdoor Recreation and Tourism

Chiggers can affect Ohio’s outdoor recreation and tourism industry:

1. Decreased visitor numbers to affected parks and campgrounds
2. Negative reviews and reputation damage for outdoor attractions
3. Increased operational costs for recreational areas to implement control measures
4. Potential loss of revenue for businesses relying on outdoor activities

Future Outlook: Climate Change and Chigger Populations in Ohio

As global climate patterns shift, the distribution and behavior of chiggers in Ohio may change. Understanding these potential shifts is crucial for developing long-term management strategies.

Projected Changes in Chigger Habitats

Climate change may affect chigger habitats in several ways:

• Expansion of suitable habitats due to warmer temperatures
• Changes in vegetation patterns that favor chigger populations
• Altered humidity levels affecting chigger survival rates
• Shifts in the geographic range of chiggers within Ohio

Adapting Control Strategies

To address potential changes in chigger populations, control strategies may need to adapt:

1. Development of new treatment methods suitable for changing conditions
2. Increased monitoring and early detection programs
3. Research into climate-resilient landscaping practices
4. Collaboration between climatologists and pest control experts to predict and manage changes

Do You Have Chiggers Crawling in Your Grass? Here’s What To Do

In Ohio, chiggers can be a real problem, especially for property owners who are dealing with a chigger infestation. Also referred to as berry bugs and harvest mites, chiggers are similar to ticks in the sense that they are quite small and can bite people and pets. If you think chiggers are overtaking your property, there are three things you need to know: what exactly is a chigger and how you can identify them, how you can get rid of chiggers on your property, and how you can keep chiggers from coming back.

What are chiggers?

Chiggers are a close relative of ticks and are nearly microscopic. Because they are so small, they can be difficult to spot, but their distinctive bright reddish-orange color sets them apart from other mites. Chiggers bite both people and animals as a source of food. Even though they are tiny, their bites can pack a punch by causing severe itching and/or a skin rash. Chigger bites are itchy, red bumps that can look like pimples, blisters, or small hives and are typically found around the waist or ankles. Chiggers are attracted to people for the same reason that mosquitoes and ticks are attracted to us; because we produce carbon dioxide when we breathe, which attracts bugs like chiggers to want to bite us. Chiggers usually favor conditions such as moist, bushy areas to live and nest, which is why they can often be found in yards.

How do you get rid of chiggers?

The best way to get rid of chiggers from your property is to hire your local lawn care professionals to treat your lawn. They have the knowledge and the highest quality chemical treatments to safely and efficiently eliminate chiggers from your property. When a lawn care company comes out to your property, they will first do an inspection to make sure that you are dealing with a chigger infestation. Next, they will spray your lawn with a high-quality insecticide that is designed to kill them off. Once they are finished, you should be able to use your lawn without having to worry about these pests biting you, your loved ones, or your pets.

Chiggers can lay one to five eggs per day, so if you don’t act fast, they can quickly take over your lawn!

How can you prevent chiggers?

The best way to prevent chiggers in the first place is to enroll in an ongoing chigger control program that continuously offers treatments. Treating for chiggers regularly is the only way to keep them away for good. When enrolling in a chigger control program, you’ll want to make sure that the company you are working with will offer multiple treatments throughout the entirety of the chigger season. You will also want to make sure that each treatment will last until the next one is applied to ensure that there is no lapse in coverage.

There are also a few things that homeowners can do to supplement these treatments. For example, mowing your grass and trimming back shrubs and brush frequently will limit the shady, bushy areas that chiggers thrive in. Also be sure to regularly clear leaf litter from your yard as moist, dark piles of leaves are conducive to chigger activity.

Give us a call to schedule our chigger control service!

Nobody likes unwanted visitors, especially when those visitors bite! If you suspect that chiggers are overrunning your property, turn to the professionals at Free Spray Lawn Care. Our lawn care professionals will quickly and safely end the infestation so you and your loved ones can get back to enjoying your yard. We offer our chigger control service to property owners in Mansfield, Wooster, Strongsville, OH and throughout the surrounding areas. Give us a call at 419-529-5296 to schedule our chigger control service today.

Share this Article

Chigger Bites (for Parents) – Humana

Parents

Search KidsHealth library

What Are Chiggers?

Chiggers (also called harvest mites or red bugs) are tiny red, biting mites. Their bites aren’t painful, but do cause intense itching.

Chiggers are members of the arachnid family (the same family that includes spiders and ticks). They are smaller than a period at the end of a sentence. Most can only be seen with a magnifying glass.

Chiggers are found all over the outdoors, including in grassy fields, along lakes and streams, and in forests. It’s the baby chiggers that bite people and animals.

How Do Chigger Bites Happen?

After hatching, baby chiggers wait on plants for people or animals to pass by. When they do, the chigger attaches to them using tiny claws. Once attached, it pierces their skin and injects its saliva (spit). The spit contains digestive juices that dissolve skin cells. The chigger then eats the dissolved cells, which provide the protein it needs to grow into an adult. After a couple of days the chigger falls off, leaving a red bump on the skin.

What Are the Signs of Chigger Bites?

Chigger bites are itchy red bumps that can look like pimples, blisters, or small hives. They are usually found around the waist, ankles, or in warm skin folds. They get bigger and itchier over several days, and often appear in groups.

Chigger bites start to itch within hours of the chigger attaching to the skin. The itch stops after a few days, and the red bumps heal over 1–2 weeks.

If chigger bites happen on the penis, they can cause swelling, itching, and painful peeing. This is known as “summer penile syndrome.”

How Are Chigger Bites Diagnosed?

Doctors can diagnose chigger bites by looking at them and asking about a person’s recent outdoor activities.

How Are Chigger Bites Treated?

Unlike mosquitoes and ticks, chiggers don’t carry disease. So they are not harmful, only annoying. You can usually treat chigger bites at home:

• Scrub chigger bites well with soap and water to help remove any chiggers that are still attached to the skin.
• Holding a cool washcloth over the bites can be soothing.
• Calamine lotion or anti-itch creams can help with the itching.
• Antihistamines (allergy medicine) taken by mouth can sometimes help with itching, especially if your child has trouble sleeping at night.

Discourage kids from scratching at the bites because this can lead to:

• impetigo, a bacterial infection of the skin, with pus and crusts around the bites
• a larger area of increasing redness, swelling, pain, and warmth, called cellulitis

Keeping fingernails short can help prevent skin damage from scratching. Antibiotics may be needed if a skin infection does happen.

When Should I Call the Doctor?

Call your doctor’s office if:

• Over-the-counter creams or lotions don’t help the itching.
• A bite looks infected (watch for warmth, redness, swelling, tenderness, or pus).
• Your child has symptoms of “summer penile syndrome.”

Can Chigger Bites Be Prevented?

To help prevent chigger bites when enjoying the great outdoors:

• Apply an insect repellent with 10%–30% DEET.
• Clothes also can be treated with a specific insecticide (like permethrin) to help prevent bites.
• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants tucked into shoes, especially during hiking. This also can help protect kids from other biting critters like ticks and mosquitoes.
• Wash kids’ skin with soap and water when they come back inside. Wash all clothes in hot water and tumble dry on high heat before they’re worn again.

Chigger bites aren’t contagious, so kids can’t catch them from someone or give them to somebody else. They can still play sports and do all normal activities unless the itching makes them too uncomfortable.

Reviewed by: Yamini Durani, MD

Date reviewed: June 2023

Humana Healthy Horizons in Ohio

• Humana Healthy Horizons

• Humana Healthy Horizons Extras

• Member Support

• Care management

• Caregiver resources

• Child well-being

• Disease management

• Documents and forms

• Enrollment

• Grievances and appeals

• Health and wellness

• KidsHealth

• Member Handbook

• New Member Resources

• News and alerts

• OhioRISE Plan

• Pregnancy outcomes

• Tobacco cessation

• Why Humana

• Your primary care provider

• For Providers

• Contact us

• Accessibility

Find a doctor

Find a doctor, hospital or pharmacy.

Search

Value-added benefits

Learn about the extra benefits and services available to Humana Healthy Horizons in Ohio members.

Find value-added benefits

Documents and forms

Find the documents and forms you need, including your Member Handbook

Find documents and forms

News at 20:00 last full issue watch online

February 16, 2023
21:38

Denis Davydov

While Europe, within the framework of the tenth package of anti-Russian sanctions, calls to seriously consider providing Ukraine with missile systems, fighter jets and helicopters, the helicopter of the American National Guard falls on a busy highway in Alabama. Everyone who was inside the collapsed Black Hawk died, and the fire was extinguished for more than 5 hours. Where and why the helicopter was flying, the aviation services do not report, but they are afraid in social networks: what if they mistook it for a Chinese one and shot it down?!

Two large-scale chemical emergencies are shrouded not only in smoke from the fire, but also in mystery. But if a warehouse with plastic is just burning in Florida, then Ohio is already on the verge of an environmental disaster, which the White House does not comment on.

The explosion was filmed from different angles, because the explosion is controlled. Dozens of cameras followed a black poisonous cloud covering for many kilometers many towns in Ohio and neighboring Pennsylvania. The authorities did not come up with anything better – they decided to set fire to tanks with chemicals that had derailed near the town of Eastern Palestine. Residents were carefully evacuated, but on the second day, as soon as the smoke cleared, the care ended – everyone was offered to return home.

“We smelled chemicals when we were driving towards the city. I have a chemical burn on my face, a rash. Fish died in the streams, there are multi-colored oil stains on the water, a constant smell of burnt plastic. Our dog is lethargic, he constantly vomits. Terrible things are happening here “, says one of the locals.

The train that brought so many troubles to these parts was carrying a whole periodic table: ethylene glycol ether, isobutylene, butyl acrylate, but most importantly – vinyl chloride. A colorless gas that decomposes into hydrogen chloride and phosgene when burned. Phosgene poisoned people in the First World War. Of the 150 tanks in the train, 50 derailed.

Those who decided to set it on fire have their own truth – they were afraid of an uncontrolled explosion. Tanks could break, and pieces of metal, like shrapnel, would mutilate everything around for several kilometers. Now they cheerfully report that there are no casualties and destruction.

“If I were there right now, I would drink water there. Yesterday, when our chief physician advised drinking only bottled water, he simply did not know the results of water tests. Today we have them,” said Mike Devine , Governor of Ohio.

Governor giving advice from the state capital, hundreds of miles away from the crash site. For two weeks, he never appeared at the overturned tanks. The authorities pretended that nothing terrible had happened.

“They are happy when they collect our taxes. The authorities are happy to spend trillions of dollars around the world on their military operations, just leaving ordinary people. People like these unfortunate East Palestine in Ohio,” said American politician Tulsi Gabbard.

Residents heard the first official messages that it is better to drink bottled water only on the 10th day after the accident. “The EPA didn’t seem to be doing any water tests, and the railroad company that made it happen hired some office to do all the tests. It’s the same type of office that BP hired. Remember, 12 years ago they told us that the water in the Gulf of Mexico is in perfect order after BP’s towers with trillions of tons of oil flew into the air?!” says one of the locals.

What just happened in Ohio, how serious the damage is, whether there will be compensation – a queue for answers to these questions lined up at the school gym, where the townspeople gathered. But no one came to see them. The management of the railway company sent a letter – they are afraid for the safety of their employees, so somehow without them. The only representative of power was the local mayor, who is also a local resident. “I’m just the mayor of a town of 4,700 people. If you think I can fight the railroad giants and the federal government, then you’re out of your mind. I need help. I’m not ready for this,” he said.

The railroad company sent one check for $1,200,000 to the entire city.

“That’s not enough! Maybe this is just the beginning. Help is needed now from different places. Many are responsible for what happened. I was told that the bearings of the train overheated. Why did they overheat? Maybe because they were not properly maintained ?! All this needs to be investigated,” said Brad Venstrup, a member of the US House of Representatives from Ohio.

Just a month and a half ago, railroad workers complained about how companies cut staff, those who remain, lengthen shifts, and even lengthen trains, giving a damn about the safety of transportation. There were more accidents under the new Minister of Transport. Biden gave the job to Pete Buttigieg. The pride of the administration is the first openly gay minister. In his speeches, he does not even mention the disaster in Ohio. Other issues matter.

“From generation to generation, we’ve heard too many stories about infrastructure when a neighborhood of color finally gets a project, but everyone who works on this project, doing well-paid jobs, looks like they’re not from the area” said Pete Buttigieg.

Neither Secretary of Transportation Buttigieg nor President Biden came to Ohio and commented on the catastrophe extremely sparingly. Journalists suggested that if the tragedy with the train happened not in the United States, but in Ukraine, the American authorities would have shown greater sensitivity.

incidents
policy
explosion
USA/America
society
news
ecological catastrophy
Most read
events of the day

“For us, it’s Pearl Harbor.” How a city in Ohio lives after a train crash with toxic chemicals

• Bernd Debusmann
• BBC East Palestine, Ohio

February 18, 2023

Pod sign up for our newsletter “Context”: it will help you figure it out in events.

Image caption,

Many residents of East Palestine, Ohio, can now only drink bottled water – tap water gives them strange symptoms

For John and Lisa Hammer, residents of a small town in East Palestine, Ohio , normal life ended on February 3 at 20:55. At that moment, a train loaded with toxic chemicals derailed just a few meters from the building where their thriving garbage company was located.

This report was published in English, the original can be read here .

The Hammers have been developing their business for 18 years, going from five clients to more than seven thousand.

“It completely ruined our lives,” John tells the BBC, barely holding back tears. We talk to him in the parking lot outside his company office, where the smell of chemicals still hangs in the air after the disaster.

“I’ve already decided to get out of here,” he adds. “We’re moving. We can’t do this anymore.”

After a train derailment, rescue services had to release vinyl chloride, a toxic, colorless gas, from five tanks. Otherwise, they could explode.

Image copyright Reuters

John’s eyes are red and swollen – he believes chemicals released into the air after the crash in East Palestine are to blame.

But the couple told the BBC that they suffered even more psychologically.

“I can’t sleep at all. I’ve already been to the doctor twice, now I’m taking a sedative,” says John Hammer. “It’s ten times worse than just losing your livelihood. We built this business from the very beginning.”

Just like her husband, Lisa Hammer stays up all night thinking about what will happen to the company, her ten employees – and the whole city where she has spent 20 years of her life.

• Massive explosion in Bangladesh at a clothing warehouse for the West. More than 40 dead, hundreds injured
• A million babies a year are born dead because of polluted air, scientists say – they are now also planning to leave East Palestine.

  “I’m scared for the people who live here,” she says. “I don’t know anyone who can sleep well now, because literally everything is at stake. Business, health, and the health of friends.”

  We climb a mountain of rubbish that rises near the burnt wreckage of wagons, and Hammer compares the train accident here to the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

  Photo credit, Reuters

  Photo caption,

  Crash site

  Skip the Podcast and continue reading.

  Podcast

  What was that?

  We quickly, simply and clearly explain what happened, why it’s important and what’s next.

  episodes

  The End of the Story Podcast

  He’s not the only one who thinks so. In the two days we spent in East Palestine, several locals told the BBC that they saw the train derailment as a critical moment in the city’s history. For the foreseeable future at least, their lives will be defined by what happened before and after this catastrophe.

  Federal and local officials advise residents not to drink tap water, but to buy bottled water. Authorities have said it’s safe to return to the city within days of the crash, but environmental experts aren’t sure the advice can be trusted.

  Substances released into the atmosphere after the crash (vinyl chloride and butyl acrylate) are hazardous to health and in sufficient concentration can cause various complications – from nausea to cancer.

  “For our city, it’s Pearl Harbor, or 9/11. This will always be remembered,” says local café owner Ben Ratner.

  In the case of Ratner, what happened led to a “curious combination” of experiences and sensations. Now he visibly shudders every time he hears the sound of a passing train, although he had not noticed such things before. And he adds that now the trains seem to him louder and more annoying than in the past.

  Image copyright, Getty Images

  Photo caption,

  60-year-old car wash owner Ron Rafferty says he wears a mask at work because he fears for his health

  He says that his friends in East Palestine start to panic about everything and remain constantly on their guard – feelings he compares to post-traumatic stress disorder .

  “It’s time for us to think about the long-term consequences for the psyche and emotional state of people,” says Ratner. “People have become worried when trains pass nearby, when their children go outside, when they let dogs out – and they accidentally get drunk on contaminated water. It’s all very serious.”

  According to him, local children only recently survived the Covid-19 pandemic, and now their lives have been turned upside down due to another trauma. “This could go on for generations,” he says. “It’s not just gas or clouds of chemicals.”

  Johns Hopkins University professor Kiv Nachman told the BBC that the substances released into the atmosphere after the crash could significantly damage people’s health.

  “There is very little information about how people came into contact with these chemicals – through air, drinking water or soil,” says the expert.

  US Environmental Protection Agency chief Michael Regan visited eastern Palestine on Thursday to see firsthand how the rescue operation is progressing, meet with local officials – and reassure residents that the government is doing everything possible for them.

  “We see you, hear you and understand why you are worried,” he said.

  The agency claims that no dangerous concentrations of toxic substances have been recorded in the atmosphere, and experts have checked the air in hundreds of residential buildings.

  In addition, both Senators from Ohio, JD Vance and Sherrod Brown, sent messages of support to the city’s residents. Gov. Mike DeWine has asked the federal government for help.

  Representatives of local water networks admitted that the Ohio River was polluted, but they say that the drinking water supply system was not affected.

  The author of the photo, Reuters

  Photo caption,

  Residents of the town discussed problems with representatives of the authorities at meetings many times

  The head of Norfolk Southern, which owned the crashed train, understands that people are tired of what is happening, afraid of the consequences, they “have a lot of unanswered questions.”

  But at the same time, representatives of the railway company on Wednesday refused to meet with the population of Eastern Palestine, citing security concerns.