Doing On-Site Testing In East Palestine: Texas A&M Superfund Research Center

[ProfessorGAC]

1. The Acrolein Surprises Me

Acrolein is a propyl aldehyde, typically formed by thermally induced oxidation of glycerin.
It's one of the concerns in methyl ester or fatty acid distillation & from the exhaust of diesel engines burning biodiesel.
I'll have to think about a possible route of oxidation of the PVC dimer to get three saturated carbons in a row when starting with 2 unsaturated carbons.
Nothing is coming immediately to mind.
I'm wondering if there wasn't some other ground contamination of natural oils (corn, soybean, etc.) that could easily form acrolein near the high temperature of a fire.
The VC in air is elevated but not likely as high as it was just after the spill, since VC can easily dimerize or trimerize in gaseous state due to atmospheric moisture.
There are other elevated level contaminants that don't seem to be linked to vinyl chloride, but more likely badly contaminated surface soil exposed to high temperatures. Examples would be naphthalene, benzene & the xylenes.)
Those aren't way above concern level, but air contamination may have been made worse with the decision to burn off, once the explosion risk was mitigated by the release of VC gas and external cooling (firewater).
Might have better to let it sit, and let it polymerize.