City Park Soil Sampling Results

Summary of East Palestine City Park Soil Sampling Results

April 6, 2023 - As springtime activities begin, residents wanted to make sure the park was safe for regular use. Soil samples have been taken across the park in seven spots that represent the overall area and use of the park. Results show that levels of dioxin and semi-volatile organic compounds are well below any levels that we would consider restricting activities, and all are either at or below typical background levels in the United States. Air monitoring at the park also shows that no contaminants are going off site from work areas. 

In addition, the village has cleaned recreational equipment, including the pool, tennis courts, and playground to get the park ready for the season. All of the mulch and the landscape fabric were removed. The playground was then power washed and disinfected, followed by the installation of new landscape fabric, 90 tons of new playground mulch, and new sod. 

Looking at all of these pieces together, EPA feels confident that residents can safely use the park.

Please note that as cleanup work continues on Leslie Run, which flows east of the park, the public should avoid the creek until that work is complete. 

Sampling results provided by Norfolk Southern. All sampling was conducted under EPA oversight pursuant to the unilateral administrative order and the soil sampling workplan. All results are below screening levels.

Tree filled city park in East Palestine

East Palestine City Park Soil Sampling Results

Analyte Date Sampled: 3/9/2023   3/9/2023 3/9/2023 3/9/2023 3/9/2023 3/9/2023 3/9/2023 3/9/2023 3/9/2023 3/9/2023 3/9/2023 3/9/2023 3/10/2023 3/10/2023
Sample ID:

SS-01_A_0-0.1_

20230309_M5

SS-01_A_0.1-0.5_

20230309_M5

SS-01_R_0-0.1_

20230309_N4

SS-01_R_0.1-0.5_

20230309_N4

SS-01_R_0-0.1_

20230309_N5

SS-02_R_0-0.1_

20230309_M5

SS-02_R_0.1-0.5_

20230309_M5

SS-02_R_0-0.1_

20230309_N4

SS-02_R_0.1-0.5_

20230309_N4

SS-02_R_0.1-0.5_

20230309_N4

SS-03_R_0-0.1_

20230309_M5

SS-03_R_0.1-0.5_

20230309_M5

SS-01_R_0-0.1_

20230310_L5

SS-01_R_0.1-0.5_

20230310_L5
Chemical Name Screening Level mg/kg mg/kg mg/kg mg/kg mg/kg mg/kg mg/kg mg/kg mg/kg mg/kg mg/kg mg/kg mg/kg mg/kg mg/kg
2-Methylnaphthalene 24 0.33  0.1 
 		 1  0.84  U U 0.035  0.064  0.077  0.054  0.019 J 0.065 0.13 0.2
Acenaphthylene NSL U U U U  U U U U U U U 0.0071 J U 0.014 J
Anthracene 5980 U U
 		 0.032 0.021  U U U U U U U 0.009 J 0.02 J 0.014 J
Benz[a]anthracene 1.1 0.02 J 0.012 J 0.087 Bcn 0.074 Bcn 0.032 JBcn 0.021 JBcn U 0.021 J 0.023 Bcn 0.022 JBcn 0.012 J 0.049 Bcn 0.053 0.041
Benzo[a]pyrene 1.4 0.019 J 0.011 J 0.078 Bcn 0.061 Bcn 0.02 JBcn 0.021 JBcn U U 0.029 Bcn 0.022 JBcn U 0.052 Bcn 0.069 0.06
Benzo[b]anthracene NSL 0.024  0.018 J 0.097 0.072  0.026 J 0.0095 J U U 0.034 0.016 J U 0.062  U U
Benzo[b]fluoranthene 14 0.024 0.018 J 0.097 0.072  0.026 J 0.0095 J U U 0.034 0.016 J U 0.062 0.1 0.077
Benzo[g,h,i]perylene NSL 0.024 0.021  0.076 Bcn 0.07 Bcn 0.02 JBcn 0.021 JBcn U U U U U 0.04 Bcn 0.06 0.051
Benzo[k]fluoranthene 140 0.011 J 0.0047 J 0.022  0.02 0.009 J U U U 0.014 J 0.011 J U 0.03  0.038 0.03
Chrysene 1390 0.043  0.028 0.15 0.12 0.02 J 0.0072 J 0.022 J 0.031 0.033  0.017 J 0.016 J 0.067  0.085 0.072
Dibenz[a,h]anthracene 1.4 U  U 0.019 J U U U U U U U U 0.011 J U 0.014 J
Fluoranthene 598 0.034 0.016 J 0.12  0.096 0.022 J 0.0099 J 0.022 J 0.033 0.045  0.022 0.018 J 0.089  0.11 0.088
Fluorene 239 0.013 J U U U U U U U U U U U U U
Indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene 14 0.01 J U 0.025  0.027  0.017 J U U 0.017 J 0.019 J 0.0091 J U 0.029  0.048 0.038
Naphthalene 14 0.19  0.061 0.57  0.46 U U 0.022 J 0.043 0.045  0.034  0.015 J 0.039  0.088 0.13
Phenanthrene NSL 0.23 0.09  0.78 0.68  0.012 J 0.0077 J 0.033 0.084 0.064 0.043 0.013 J 0.065 0.11 0.13
Phenol 1900 U  U U U U U U U U U U U 0.14 U
Pyrene 1790 0.044  0.018 J 0.13  0.11 0.024 J 0.0096 J 0.02 J 0.034 0.039  0.02 J 0.014 J 0.079  0.096 0.076
2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin 0.0000048 U  U U U U 0.00000027 J U U U U 0.0000011 J 0.00000084 J U U
1,2,3,4,6,7,8-heptachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin 0.00048 U U 0.0000042 J 0.0000041 J 0.000036  0.0000052 J 0.0000092  0.0000082  0.000017 0.000013 0.000023  0.000016  0.000054 0.000028
1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9-octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin 0.016 0.000018  0.00001 J 0.000073  0.0001 0.00034 0.00007 0.000055  0.000051 0.00012  0.000096 0.00016 0.00011 0.00039 0.00021
2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran 0.000048 U U U 0.00000043 J U U U U 0.00000049 JI 0.00000068 J 0.0000012 JI 0.00000089 J U 0.00000027 J
2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorodibenzofuran  0.000016 U U U U U U U U U U U U U .0000029 J
1,2,3,4,6,7,8-heptachlorodibenzofuran 0.00048 U U U U 0.0000092 J U 0.0000051 J 0.0000031 J 0.0000068 J 0.0000051 JI 0.00001  0.0000057 J 0.000021 0.000014
1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9-octachlorodibenzofuran 0.0016 U U U 0.0000024 J 0.000029 0.0000034 J 0.0000055 J 0.0000048 J 0.000011 J 0.000009 J 0.000012 J 0.0000087 J 0.000025 0.000014
Total Dioxin-Furan 0.0000048 0.0000028  0.0000026  0.0000029 0.0000027  0.0000046 0.0000028  0.0000034  0.0000033  0.0000033 0.0000031 0.0000047 0.0000038 0.0000045 0.0000036

Terms key

Explanation of terms
mg/kg Milligrams per kilogram
Screening Level Intermediate Residential Regional Screening Level
NSL No Screening Level
U This result should be considered “not-detect” because it was not detected above the detection limit or it was detected in a field blank or laboratory blank at a similar level
I Value is an estimated maximum possible concentration
J Result is less than the reporting limit but greater than or equal to the method detection limit and the concentration is an approximate value
B Compound was found in the blank and sample. Blank samples are taken to ensure that environmental samples have not been contaminated by the data-collection process.
cn Refer to Case Narrative for further detail. The cn data qualifier was included for analytes Benz[a]anthracene, Benzo[a]pyrene and/or Benzo[g,h,i]perylene for some samples. After a review of the Case Narratives for those samples, this data qualifier was applied because the method blank for for the preparation batch and analytical batch contained these analytes above the method detection limit.

The following analytes were non-detect in all City Park soil samples:

Download the Data

Summary of East Palestine City Park Soil Sampling Results (xlsx) (31.08 KB, April 6, 2023)

  • 2,4,5-Trichlorophenol
  • 2,4,6-Trichlorophenol
  • 2,4-Dichlorophenol
  • 2-Chlorophenol
  • 4-chloro-3-Methylphenol
  • 4-Chlorophenyl phenyl ether
  • Acenaphthene
  • Hexachlorobenzene
  • Pentachlorophenol
  • 1,2,3,7,8-pentachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin
  • 1,2,3,4,7,8-hexachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin
  • 1,2,3,6,7,8-hexachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin
  • 1,2,3,7,8,9-hexachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin
  • 1,2,3,7,8-pentachlorodibenzofuran
  • 1,2,3,4,7,8-hexachlorodibenzofuran
  • 1,2,3,6,7,8-hexachlorodibenzofuran
  • 1,2,3,7,8,9-hexachlorodibenzofuran
  • 2,3,4,6,7,8-hexachlorodibenzofuran
  • 1,2,3,4,7,8,9-heptachlorodibenzofuran
  • Total-PCDD/DF-TEQ-MB (WHO2005)
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Last updated on May 21, 2025