Hebei Spirit Oil Spill Exposure and Subjective Symptoms in Residents Participating in Clean-Up Activities

Abstract

ObjectivesThis study was conducted to examine the relationship between crude oil exposure and physical symptoms among residents participating in clean-up work associated with the Hebei Spirit oil spill, 2007 in Korea.MethodsA total of 288 residents responded to a questionnaire regarding subjective physical symptoms, sociodemographic characteristics and clean-up activities that occurred between two and eight weeks after the accident. Additionally, the urine of 154 of the respondents was analyzed for metabolites of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals. To compare the urinary levels of exposure biomarkers, the urine of 39 inland residents who were not directly exposed to the oil spill were analyzed.ResultsResidents exposed to oil remnants through clean-up work showed associations between physical symptoms and the exposure levels defined in various ways, including days of work, degree of skin contamination, and levels of some urinary exposure biomarkers of VOCs, metabolites and metals, although no major abnormalities in urinary exposure biomarkers were observed.ConclusionsThis study provides evidence of a relationship between crude oil exposure and acute human health effects and suggests the need for follow-up to evaluate the exposure status and long-term health effects of clean-up participants.

Petroleum hydrocarbon contaminations in the intertidal seawater after the Hebei Spirit oil spill – Effect of tidal cycle on the TPH concentrations and the chromatographic characterization of seawater extracts

“…After the Hebei Spirit oil spill, studies were usually limited to toxicological effects on marine organisms or human health (Cheong et al, 2011;Ji et al, 2011;Jung et al, 2011Jung et al, , 2012Hong et al, 2012;Lee et al, 2011) and to oil fingerprinting Yim et al, 2012). The first objective of the current study was to evaluate the spatiotemporal variations and the fate of oil contamination in the water column following the Hebei Sprit oil spill.…”

Oxidative stress biomarkers in long-term participants in clean-up work after the Hebei Spirit oil spill

“…Among them, residents worked for an average of several months, whereas volunteers worked for a few hours to a few days during the total clean-up period which lasted for over a year. Nearly all residents of the most affected coastal area participated in an almost daily clean-up effort to rebuild their lives and maintain their households, since their regular occupation was no longer feasible (Cheong et al, 2011). Local civil servants also participated in the clean-up effort for several months.…”

“…Studies on potential health effects of Hebei Spirit oil spill were mostly on immediate or acute health effects which included physical and mental symptoms (Cheong et al, 2011;Ha et al, 2012;Lee et al, 2010;Sim et al, 2010). Acute symptoms such as eye symptoms, headaches, skin symptoms, neurovestibular symptoms and respiratory symptoms, persisted for more than 1 to 2 years after one large oil spill accident (Na et al, 2012).…”

“…During the clean-up period, fishing was banned until September 3, 2008 by the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, Republic of Korea (Taean-gun, 2010). Local residents and civil servants were most heavily involved in the clean-up effort for several months following the oil spill (Cheong et al, 2011).…”

Comprehensive study of a heavy fuel oil spill : modeling and analytical approaches to understanding environmental weathering

“…Evaporation transfers compounds to the atmosphere where they are effectively removed from the spill area (though with potentially detrimental effects to volunteers performing cleanup; Morita et al, 1999;Carrasco et al, 2006;Perez-Cadahia et al, 2007;Sim et al, 2010;Cheong et al, 2011;Eom et al, 2011;Jeong et al, 2011). By comparison, dissolution draws compounds from the oil into the water column where they are bioavailable and potentially toxic to marine organisms, such as herring.…”