The Deepwater Horizon explosion, resultant oil spill and clean up efforts, while devastating presents a rare and unique opportunity to study the immediate and chronic effects of exposures to oil and dispersant related toxicants on human health. Since there are no long term population studies of individuals exposed to an oil spill and associated cleanup efforts, much less one that is providing ongoing exposure, there is a need to identify the acute and long effects of the health risks from these exposures. Identifying and following prospectively those affected individuals on an annual basis will allow for assessment of both subsequent exposures, and health problems resulting through a variety of routes of exposure. While is difficult to accurately collect valid exposure information through interviews, the additional collection of biological samples, biomonitoring, genotoxicity studies, exposomics, and risk assessment will allow researchers to more ably determine exposures received, and then relate these to subsequent health and biological effects. There have been limited and very few investigations into the adverse health effects associated with oil spills. We propose an innovative and multi- disciplinary approach to prospectively follow those affected individuals and their family members. However, prior to fully establishing and committing extensive resources for a prospective cohort study, a feasibility study is necessary to determine participation rates at baseline and one year later, barriers to participation, and the ability to obtain biological samples from oil rig and clean-up workers and their families. We will work in four of the most exposed parishes (counties) in SE Louisiana.
The Deepwater Horizon explosion, resultant oil spill and clean up efforts, while devastating presents a rare and unique opportunity to study the immediate and chronic effects of exposures to oil and dispersant related toxicants on human health. Since there are no long term population studies of individuals exposed to an oil spill and associated cleanup efforts, much less one that is providing ongoing exposure, there is a need to identify the acute and long effects of the health risks from these exposures. Identifying and following prospectively those affected individuals on an annual basis will allow for assessment of both subsequent exposures, and health problems resulting through a variety of routes of exposures.
| Rung, Ariane L; Oral, Evrim; Fontham, Elizabeth et al. (2015) Mental Health Impact of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Among Wives of Clean-up Workers. Epidemiology 26:e44-6 |
