Children Exposure-Related Behavior Patterns and Risk Perception Associated with Recreational Beach Use

Abstract

Background: Oil spill chemicals (OSCs) result not only from the crude oil components but also from dispersants used in the clean-up activities, where some may result in adverse health effects under certain exposure and dosage conditions. One of the main populations of concern for exposure to OSCs are children, who are frequent beach users. Activities such as ingestion of and digging in sand can increase dermal and ingestion exposure. Longer times spent at the beach can also increase exposures for all routes. Objectives: The Beach Exposure and Child Health Study (BEaCHeS) was initiated to evaluate the risk of exposure to children from oil contaminants. Reported here are results for surveys collected, as a part of the project, to address exposure-related behavior patterns and risk perception for parents or guardians who visit the beach. Methods: Over 400 parental surveys were collected at four beaches, two in Miami and two in Texas, to evaluate children’s exposure related activities. Surveys consisted of three general sections: demographics, exposure, and risk perception. Surveys were analyzed in REDcap and Stata to evaluate demographic and regional differences on activities related to beach behavior and potential exposures to oil contaminants (e.g., how much time spent on beach, cleaning habits following beach activities). The statistical analysis included the mean and standard errors, along with regressions to evaluate associations between parameters. Results: Overall, the data showed high variability in how children play on the beach, influenced more by age and less by gender. Variations were also seen in certain variables by beach region (e.g., hygiene practices). By race, variations were seen in income, distance of travel to beach, and preferred method of communication for beach warning. Other important findings are reflected in the article. Discussion: The data presented here may prove useful for those evaluating children exposures to a variety of contaminants, chemical, or bacterial in origin. In addition, coastal managers may find the risk perception and general behaviors useful for planning and maintenance of beach areas.

Chemical Exposure: European Citizens’ Perspectives, Trust, and Concerns on Human Biomonitoring Initiatives, Information Needs, and Scientific Results

“…Different components (deliberative, affective, or experiential [ 20 ]), and many factors are involved in the formation of risk perceptions, including literacy and numeracy levels [ 21 ], dispositional situations [ 22 ], personal experiences, information availability and presentation [ 23 ], and physical and psychological well-being of the exposed individual [ 24 ]. Health risk perception of chemical exposure has been assessed in numerous settings and targeted populations (e.g., drinking water quality [ 25 ], chemical household products [ 24 , 26 ], food additives and contaminants [ 27 ], research laboratory workers [ 28 ], or recreational beach use by children [ 29 ]), as a starting point, to build-up effective risk communication strategies and public health interventions, which ultimately may lead to risk perception and health behaviour changes [ 20 ].…”

Estimating Health Risks to Children Associated with Recreational Play on Oil Spill-Contaminated Beaches

“…The study of children’s environmental health is often focused on assessing health consequences associated with inhalation exposure in outdoor environments, where children engage in physical activity [ 46 ]. However, the combination of crawling, non-dietary ingestion, and potential contamination of beach sand broaden the scope of potential health risks to children playing on a beach [ 21 , 47 ]. Since existing oil spill chemical concentration data are limited, future risk assessments using BEACHES behavior and exposure information should incorporate chemical concentration data from oil spill trajectory simulations.…”

“…Children’s greater frequency of hand-to-mouth contact also puts them at higher risk of exposure from non-dietary ingestion routes [ 15 ]. There have been studies in residential settings evaluating the dynamics of children’s behavior in the environment and subsequent exposures to hazards [ 16 , 17 ], and some investigations characterizing children’s exposure-related activities in the beach environment [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ]. Shoaf et al [ 19 ] evaluated the extent of dermal exposure by children to sediment in a tide flat by collecting information from parents regarding children’s play behavior as well as measuring adherence of sediment to children’s skin.…”

“…Shoaf et al [ 19 ] evaluated the extent of dermal exposure by children to sediment in a tide flat by collecting information from parents regarding children’s play behavior as well as measuring adherence of sediment to children’s skin. More recently, Ferguson et al [ 21 ] identified the different ways children play on the beach and how this impacts environmental exposures. Information from such studies can be used to predict children’s health risks by defining exposure-related parameters.…”

Quantified Activity Patterns for Young Children in Beach Environments Relevant for Exposure to Contaminants

“…The study described in this paper is part of the Beach Exposure and Child Health Study (BEACHES) project, which focused on estimating health risk for children to OSCs on the beach following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in Gulf of Mexico. BEACHES aimed to collect activity patterns for children via videotaping, survey instruments [ 26 ] and other field activities [ 27 ], estimate oil spill concentrations in the nearshore environment [ 28 , 29 ], and estimate exposure and risk for young children. This paper presents the activity patterns for 120 children collected via videotaping and videotranslation methods to estimate the time spent in microenvironments and engaged in various activities, along with duration of contact with surfaces and objects.…”