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While the flames that tore through five cars of a derailed train that were carrying a potentially explosive chemical have died out in East Palestine, Ohio, officials say more data is needed on the area’s air and water quality to lift evacuation orders. After Monday’s release and burn of a toxic chemical from the derailed train cars, authorities said they turned their attention to making sure that the air within the evacuation zone is safe for residents. (Salahieh, 2/8)

Vinyl chloride was slowly released into the air Monday from five of the 10 derailed cars before crews ignited it to get rid of the highly flammable, toxic chemicals in a controlled environment, creating a dark plume of smoke. The impact of burning vinyl chloride is a concern. ... Vinyl chloride is associated with increased risk of liver cancer and other cancers, according to the federal government’s National Cancer Institute. ... Officials warned the controlled burn would send phosgene and hydrogen chloride into the air. Phosgene is a highly toxic, colorless gas with a strong odor that can cause vomiting and breathing trouble and was used as a weapon in World War I. (2/8)

“I want nothing more than to get my residents back home,” said East Palestine Fire Chief Keith Drabick. He said he was still waiting for monitoring data and further guidance from health experts. “Quite frankly, once I feel it’s safe for my family to return we will lift that evacuation order to allow people to go home.” Randy Padfield, director of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, said no concerning air-quality readings had been detected. But he urged residents living within 2 miles of the derailment to stay indoors and keep their windows closed.  (Maher and Fung, 2/7)

An outbreak of a highly pathogenic avian influenza strain is decimating wild and farmed bird populations globally, fueling a debate about the most effective ways to end it and the potential risk to humans. Some experts are concerned about the possibility that the H5N1 virus could one day evolve to more easily spread from birds to mammals. Although the risk to humans remains low, speculation about the virus has caused worry that the bird flu outbreak could develop into a larger threat. (Bever and Timsit, 2/7)

Veteran influenza epidemiologist Keiji Fukuda remembers vividly when he first became fearful that a virulent bird flu virus, H5N1, might be on the verge of triggering a devastating pandemic. The virus, seemingly out of nowhere, did something bird flu viruses were thought not to be able to do. It infected 18 people, killing six of them. That happened in 1997, in Hong Kong. (Branswell, 2/8)

Veterinary authorities in Peru yesterday confirmed H5N1 avian influenza in sea lions and a dolphin, adding more reports of detections in mammals as the virus continues its push into Central and South America. (Schnirring, 2/7)

A study published on Jan. 24, 2023, showed that toddlers whose mothers were exposed to high levels of pollution during mid- to late-pregnancy were prone to lower cognitive scores. The researchers followed 161 Latino mothers with infants in Southern California. They used EPA data to calculate the mothers’ past exposure to air pollution from roadside traffic, industry and wildfire smoke. (Roedel, 2/6)

In the HBO show “The Last of Us,” characters identify zombies among them by the fungi that bursts from their bodies, and fungal parasites manipulate the humans to infect the communities around them. In real life, the fungal species that inspired the story, Ophiocordyceps, infects insects and does not cause problems for people. However, the threat from fungal pathogens is increasing, experts say, and may grow much worse in a warmer, wetter and sicker world. (Christensen, 2/7)