How do oil spills affect humans

Since , they have been holding workshops across gulf coasts, and recently held one in the Anchorage area. Citing the report, Alaska attendees said researchers and spill responders should better include the public with a mind to be culturally appropriate. According to Davin Holen, one of the researchers, communication is one of the most important aspects: "Communities want to be more aware of these efforts because they see an increase in ship traffic like in the Bering Sea for example, and they want to know what plans are in place if something should happen.

Finally, Sanders says that although workers and community members can protect themselves with gear and avoiding affected areas, more research needs to be done to find out how this can be a less distressing event for the local communities. Skip to content. State Legislature. Road Conditions. Winter Trails Report. Weather Calendar Sponsor Locations.

Mike's Fab Photos. Exposure to both crude oil and dispersants—chemicals used in clean-up efforts to break down oil into smaller droplets—can be harmful.

A medical study of the DWH oil spill showed that depending on which part of the clean-up workers' body is exposed to the chemicals and for how long, they may develop skin rashes and irritation of the eyes, nose, and ears. Clayton Chau said in a statement. As ocean waves and dispersants break down crude oil slicks, compounds like hydrocarbons, particulate matter and carbon monoxide diffuse into the air.

People may inhale these toxic particles, which can damage their lungs. Breathing crude oil vapors can cause coughing, throat and nose irritation, dizziness, headache, and nausea, according to a medical study of the DWH clean-up workers. This is particularly worrisome for vulnerable populations like children, older adults and people with lung conditions like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, says Maureen Lichtveld, MD, MPH , Dean of the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.

The airborne chemicals probably effect people differently based on how close they are to the source, and how soon after the spill it is, Lichtveld says. Workers who assist with the clean-up process are perhaps the most at risk for poor health outcomes after an oil spill.

Wearing protective clothing and using masks or respirators can minimize their exposure. There are fewer studies on the long-term health effects of oil spills for communities with lower levels of exposure, like those who live in the communities around the event.

This spill and others of its caliber can significantly harm wildlife in the area. In addition to the harms posed to these creatures, this contamination can make its way up the food chain, effecting the seafood supply.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recommends waiting until seafood has been tested for contaminants before eating food sourced from near the oil spill. Over time, oil can seep into sources of drinking water like rivers, streams, and groundwater. But researchers are unsure how these chemicals can affect human health through consumption. The Huntington Beach oil spill is small compared with others in U.

Citizens wanted to hear from their local authorities about whether or not parents should allow their children to swim, to play in the yard, and the like. A dearth of such information only adds to the anxiety. As with the acute health effects of exposure, potential acute, chronic, and delayed mental health problems are just as important to consider as potential chronic physical health problems.

Howard Osofsky described the immediate effects that the social, economic, and psychological stressors had on communities in the Gulf region following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and noted that local residents and parishes were already reporting similar symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Osofksy described some of the mental health data that he and colleagues collected after Hurricane Katrina and explained that they would continue to collect modified forms of these same data in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

Sheldon Cohen described the different ways that the Gulf oil disaster may be producing the same type of psychological stress that other, more common events e. He also listed stress-related endpoints for use in future health surveillance efforts. In conclusion, Lawrence Palinkas described in detail what he and other researchers learned about the psychological impact of the Exxon Valdez spill.

Based on these results, Palinkas identified populations in the Gulf region that he suspects may be especially vulnerable to psychological stress e.

Howard J. Disasters increase the prevalence of adverse mental health outcomes, but research focused on these outcomes and application of knowledge generated by such research is somewhat limited, especially where it concerns the well-being of children and families, said Howard Osofsky.

Assessment can be difficult because of the interactions between psychological, physical, and neuropsychiatric health. While there are studies of natural and technological disasters that have investigated early mental health effects related to substantial changes in way of life, employment, and income, the Gulf oil disaster is unique for several reasons:.

Retraumatization: The Gulf oil disaster follows closely on the heels of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Gustav and an economic recession. For individuals that survived the hurricane traumas, the cumulative effects of multiple traumas may increase susceptibility to psychological conditions or disorders. Population diversity: The Gulf community is large and ethnographically and culturally diverse, even within the affected parishes. For instance, multiple generations of fishermen and -women may lose their livelihoods.

Gulf residents also exhibit an ambivalent relationship with the oil companies, leading residents to be suspicious of safeguards, even while the residents depend on oil companies for their livelihoods. Retraumatization may increase the risk of developing adverse psychological-health effects. Following Hurricane Katrina, Osofsky and his colleagues collected 5 years of pre-oil spill data on children, adolescents, and some first responders.

These data will continue to be collected, and researchers will continue to measure the cumulative effects of multiple traumas. These data can provide a baseline from which to assess the cumulative effects of multiple traumas, to track trends, and to predict the need for health care services.

For instance, 40 percent of the first responders surveyed after Katrina requested help for themselves or their families. A number of data-collection activities are currently under way. Osofsky stated that he was already receiving reports from domestic-violence shelters and drug courts. Focus groups have revealed increases. On the other hand, some people have expressed relief that family members are not employed as responders in relief efforts because it means less exposure to toxins.

Osofsky ultimately predicted that mental health problems would likely become much worse over time as a result of the Gulf oil spill. Finally, Osofsky described the importance of establishing a long-term working relationship with local communities and organizations. In addition to earning the trust of local community members, working with communities can also provide information about how best to link people with available services or about the need for additional resources.

Drawing on scientific literature that addresses a wide range of stressful events that have been associated with adverse health effects such as job loss and personal stressors such as divorce , Sheldon Cohen explained how the existing literature on the connection between psychological stress and disease can provide information about the long-term effects that could be expected as a result of the Gulf oil spill.

Many of the stressful events that have been associated with disease risk are fundamentally similar to events that currently affect people in the Gulf region. For example, individuals are reporting lower self-esteem, sometimes resulting from job loss; loss of purpose or meaning in life, such as a loss of career aspirations or family businesses; and loss of feelings of control over important outcomes, resulting from the inability to support a family or protect the environment.

Other common psychological symptoms associated with poorer health include perceptions of unfair treatment, stemming from causes such as problems with reimbursement for loss, and damage to social networks, often resulting from conflict or loss of close friends.

Cohen further explained that the stress associated with any given event, such as job loss, could be very different for different individuals, depending on how those individuals perceive the event.

For example, the perceived stress for someone who is about to retire would be very different than the perceived stress for someone who needs a job to support his or her family.

Additionally, the stress of a threatening event could be very different for different people, depending on available coping mechanisms. For example, someone who has supportive friends and family or access to another source of income would experience a different level of stress in response to a threatening event than someone without a support system or alternate source of income.

Psychological stress is known to be associated with many mental health outcomes in adults, including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety disorder, said Cohen. Stress has also been associated with emotional and social conflicts in children. These negative emotional responses can lead to intermittent physiological and other health effects, such as activation of the sympathetic nervous system. Moreover, individuals who have negative emotional responses tend to adhere poorly to medical regimens and to have poor health practices, such as poor sleep quality, poor diets, lack of physical activity, and increased alcohol and drug use.

Together, these physiological changes and poor health practices can lead to an increased risk of physical disease. Cohen stated that psychological stress is also known to be associated with several physical health outcomes in both adults and children, including total mortality and increased risks of coronary heart disease, hypertension, and upper respiratory infections.

Indeed, studies demonstrated an increased risk for coronary heart disease including myocardial infarction, cardiac arrhythmia, and sudden death within 30 days after the World Trade Center attack and within 60 days of SCUD-missile attacks in Israel. But not all such risks manifest immediately. Risk for coronary heart disease has also been shown to increase 6 months to several years after work-related stressful events when those events involve a perceived lack of control over work or a perceived lack of institutional fairness.

Populations most vulnerable to stress-associated risk include children, individuals with chronic illnesses, histories of poor coping, a lack of close social ties, and lower levels of income and education because they have fewer resources to help them cope with stressful events.

Cohen ultimately suggested several endpoints and a research design that could be incorporated into a surveillance or monitoring system to monitor psychological stress related to the Gulf oil catastrophe.

Cohen also suggested some endpoints related to disease outcomes, such as the presence of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder; the incidence of cardiovascular disease; markers of disease progression among the chronically ill; and the use of health care.

As part of the research design, Cohen proposed longitudinal, long-term, and individual follow-up studies to assess the progression and exacerbation of chronic diseases, with a special emphasis on mental health. A number of studies have been conducted on the social and psychological consequences of the Exxon Valdez spill. The study was conducted 1 year after the spill and combined ethnographic fieldwork in 22 communities with a quantitative survey of about households.

The researchers measured exposure based on responses to a series of questions about whether the household had used an area affected by the spill, participated in clean-up activities, and the like. A study by Palinkas and colleagues examined the relationship between certain psychiatric disorders and exposure to the Exxon Valdez oil spill and its response activities.

In this study, exposure was widely defined to include direct contact with oil, damage or property loss, and disruptions to social and economic activities. Figure depicts a significant association between exposure and generalized anxiety disorder,.

NOTE: In this figure, comparison groups are defined by exposure levels and include varying numbers of participants N. The figure lists the odds ratios and confidence intervals C. Widely defined exposures to oil spills and clean-up activities were also associated with increased use of mental health services, as indicated by an increase in the number of mental health visits to the Seward Life Action Council in Seward, Alaska, between July and December compared to July-December Impact Assessment, Inc.

In addition to the psychological outcomes, Palinkas and colleagues detected significant associations between exposure and problems with alcohol and drug abuse and domestic violence Palinkas et al. Palinkas explained that the studies following the Exxon Valdez disaster were noteworthy because they were the first to document post-traumatic stress disorder without any loss of human life.

As Redlener had described earlier with respect to what is happening now with the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster, it was the loss of a way of life and not necessarily the loss of life itself that is profoundly affecting individuals. Palinkas described several results of the research, as outlined in the following sections.

The researchers found that not all individuals were equally vulnerable. Other vulnerable populations included clean-up workers, women, and families and children. The researchers also examined the impact of exposure on children and found that increased exposure was associated with a decline in relations with other children in the community, difficulties sleeping, poor.

In some cases, these findings were similar to those in adults. One of the most interesting findings, Palinkas said, was the association between difficulty finding child care and post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression in parents. Because psychological stress can lead to physiological changes and increased risks for chronic diseases, Palinkas and colleagues examined the impact of the Exxon Valdez spill on physical health.

As with the psychological outcomes, researchers found that more-exposed individuals reported more heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid problems, cancer, asthma, ulcers, bronchitis, chronic coughs, and skin rashes Impact Assessment, Inc.

He mentioned previously traumatized populations, such as Hurricane Katrina victims, Vietnamese refugees, children and families, and under-served populations. Palinkas also recommended the collection of particular types of data necessary to measure long-term mental health effects.

Suggested measures included measures of mental health indicators, such as indicators for anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder; social disruption; drug and alcohol use; child behavior; and qualitative data on individual-and community-level responses to the oil spill.

Finally, as other panelists had done, Palinkas highlighted the possible influence of litigation on long-term data collection. In fact, it continued for about 20 years,. Although HHS did not charge the IOM with investigating the effect of litigation on possible surveillance systems, the issue continued to emerge as an important research limitation.

Supreme Court ruled on compensation for damages. For many of the residents of the affected communities, the story continues even today. Ironically, the litigation itself has been a form of stress-inducing exposure that caused community conflict and prolonged uncertainty. Is there a need for diagnostic protocols or clinical guidelines for mental health symptoms that front-line providers can use? Osofsky replied that such protocols and guidelines would be useful.

Even well-trained volunteers and workers will experience medical or psychological problems. Individuals present in emergency rooms for respiratory, dermatological, cardiovascular, or other physical problems, and it can be difficult for professionals treating them to realize that such individuals may also have acute stress, depression, or other psychological problems that are compounding the expression of physical symptoms.

The physical and psychological symptoms need to be treated together. There also needs to be some recognition that medical personnel may be experiencing secondary traumatic stress themselves. Later during the workshop, there will be discussions around ways to monitor populations and collect research data while moving forward.

But what about providing care to the people who are being monitored or are participating in the research studies? For example, have there been efforts in the mental health field to ramp up services as data are collected? Osofsky replied that, while the Deepwater Horizon disaster has not interrupted services like Hurricane Katrina did, resources are nonetheless very limited and are only just being re-established.

Is there reason to be concerned about a potential synergistic effect of heat and chemical exposure? Bernard replied such a concern is appropriate to the extent that anything that affects the central nervous system is probably going to affect the thermal regulatory center.

And anything that affects the renal system. Sathiakumar identified the relationship between chemical exposure, heat exposure, and behavior as being very important e. Osofsky added that individuals taking medications for mental health conditions will be much more vulnerable to heat exposure. Given that heat stress increases risky behaviors, is having well-motivated workers workers who want to work quickly in the heat for a longer period of time to stop the oil from coming to shore a problem?

Bernard replied that particular attitudes can be a problem. It is important to have an effective heat stress management program in place to contain that enthusiasm so that workers protect themselves. Many clean-up workers have preexisting medical conditions that may put them at increased risk for heat stress. What guidelines or recommendations exist for screening these workers? Bernard replied that there are some risk factors related to impaired water balance, decreased cardiovascular capacity, or impaired thermal regulation e.

The problem with pre-screening is that there is no good test to identify who is going to be able to work in the heat, other than a history of having successfully worked in the heat. Bernard replied that heat stress is less age-related than it is fitness-related. In addition to previous heat exposure experiences, aerobic capacity is a good indicator of how well one will do in the heat. In any event, right now, breaks are extensive.

For example, offshore workers receive 2-hour breaks for lunch in an air-conditioned facility. Are biomarkers of exposure relevant to the general population, or are they relevant only for heavily exposed populations?

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