BP Oil Spill Studies

“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…

“After the Deepwater Horizon oil platform explosion, an estimated 172.2 million gallons of gas-saturated oil was discharged uncontrollably into the Gulf of Mexico, causing the largest deep-sea blowout in history. In an attempt to keep the oil submerged, massive quantities of the chemical dispersant Corexit® 9500 were deployed 1522 m deep at the gushing riser pipe of…

“We found positive associations between crude oil exposure and various acute physical symptoms among responders, as well as longer-term health effects. This cohort is well-positioned to evaluate both short-term and long-term effects of oil spill exposures using both self-reported and clinical health data.”   Read the full study here 

Results from the present study suggested strong relationships between oil and oil dispersant exposures and acute respiratory symptoms among disaster responders. Future prospective studies will be needed to confirm these findings. Read the full study here 

“To assess potential impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in April 2010, we conducted boat-based photo-identification surveys for common bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, USA (~230 km2, located 167 km WNW of the spill center). Crews logged 838 h of survey effort along pre-defined routes on 10 occasions between late June 2010 and early…