BP Oil Spill Studies
Fine particulate matter and incident coronary heart disease events up to 10 years of follow-up among Deepwater Horizon oil spill workers
Link to Study Abstract Background: During the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) disaster, in-situ burning and flaring were conducted to remove oil from the water. Workers near combustion sites were potentially exposed to burning-related fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Exposure to PM2.5 has been linked to increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), but no study has examined…
Read MoreAssociations between airborne crude oil chemicals and symptom-based asthma
Link to Full Study Rationale: The 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill response and cleanup (OSRC) workers were exposed to airborne total hydrocarbons (THC), benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-, m-, and p-xylenes and n-hexane (BTEX-H) from crude oil and PM2.5 from burning/flaring oil and natural gas. Little is known about asthma risk among oil spill cleanup workers. Objectives: We…
Read MoreOccupational Asthma: The Knowledge Needs for a Better Management
Link to Study Abstract Occupational asthma (OA) is defined as asthma induced by sensitizer or irritant work exposures (Tarlo et al., 2008) and the costs related to OA patients are greater than those related to non-work-related asthma (WRA) (Lemière et al., 2013). The complete avoidance of exposure is the first measure to be taken, but sometimes may…
Read MoreAcute and longer-term cardiovascular conditions in the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Coast Guard Cohort
Click here to view the full study Abstract Introduction In 2010, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) led a clean-up response to the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill. Human studies evaluating acute and longer-term cardiovascular conditions associated with oil spill-related exposures are sparse. Thus, we aimed to investigate prevalent and incident cardiovascular symptoms/conditions in the DHW…
Read MoreIncidence of chronic respiratory conditions among oil spill responders: Five years of follow-up in the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Coast Guard Cohort study
View the full study here Abstract Background Over ten years after the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill, our understanding of long term respiratory health risks associated with oil spill response exposures is limited. We conducted a prospective analysis in a cohort of U.S. Coast Guard personnel with universal military healthcare. Methods For all active duty cohort members (N = 45,193) in…
Read MoreAmbient air concentrations exceeded health-based standards for fine particulate matter and benzene during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (J Air Waste Manag Assoc.)
“The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is considered one of the largest marine oil spills in the history of the United States. Air emissions associated with the oil spill caused concern among residents of Southeast Louisiana. The purpose of this study was to assess ambient concentrations of benzene (n=3,887) and fine particulate matter (n=102,682) during the…
Read MoreA First Comprehensive Baseline of Hydrocarbon Pollution in Gulf of Mexico Fishes (Scientific Reports)
“Gulf-wide fish surveys over 2011–2018 found widespread oil contamination. One hot spot was in the northern Gulf where the 2010 BP blowout spewed oil, and where the Mississippi River, carrying pollution from 40% of the continental U.S., meets the Gulf. The lead scientist commented, “We actually haven’t found one oil-free fish yet.” Read the full…
Read MoreCancer Incidence and Mortality among Petroleum Industry Workers and Residents Living in Oil Producing Communities: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (Onyije et al., 2021;)
Link to Study
Read MoreCauses and consequences of micronuclei (Krupina et al., 2021)
Micronuclei are small membrane-bounded compartments with a DNA content encapsulated by a nuclear envelope and spatially separated from the primary nucleus. Micronuclei have long been linked to chromosome instability, genome rearrangements, and mutagenesis. They are frequently found in cancers, during senescence, and after genotoxic stress. Compromised integrity of the micronuclear envelope delays or disrupts DNA…
Read MoreTranscriptome profiling of blood from common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the northern Gulf of Mexico to enhance health assessment capabilities
Link to full study here. Abstract Inhalation of PM2.5, particles with an aerodynamic diameter <2.5 μm, from sea spray after crude oil spills could present serious health concerns. The addition of dispersants to effectively spread the crude oil throughout the water column has been practiced in recent years. Here, we investigated the possibility of an…
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