Neurological symptoms associated with oil spill response exposures: Results from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Coast Guard Cohort Study

Krishnamurthy, Jayasree; Engel, Lawrence S.; Wang, Li; Schwartz, Erica; Christenbury, Kate; Kondrup, Benjamin; Barrett, J.; Rusiecki, Jennifer

doi:10.1016/j.envint.2019.104963

Cited by 28 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 22 publications

(36 reference statements)

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“…Similar to the sex-specific findings from our study, a recent study on the acute neurological effects of oil-spill cleanup-related exposures based on the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Coast Guard Cohort also reported sex-related neurological symptoms that were stronger in males than females [ 48 ] . We speculate that the sex difference in response to oil spill chemicals may be largely immune mediated as sex-specific differences in the immune response are well documented in the literature [ 49 ] .…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

The Impact of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill upon Lung Health—Mouse Model-Based RNA-Seq Analyses

Liu

Miller

Zhuang

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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We used a transcriptomic approach to interrogate the effects of a saline-accommodated fraction from the Macondo 252 well (MC252) oil and Corexit dispersants on lung tissue. Wild-type C57BL/6 male and female mice were exposed on days 0, 7 and 13 by oropharyngeal aspiration to saline accommodated fractions (SAF) of crude oil from the Macondo (MC252) well, Corexit 9500, Corexit 9527, 9500+oil and 9527+oil or a saline solution as the vehicle control. These treatments did not cause overt toxicity, with the exception of the Corexit exposures which caused brief weight loss after the first exposure. On day 14, total RNA was isolated from the left lung for RNA-seq analyses. KEGG-pathway-based differential expression revealed that Corexit 9527 elicited the strongest changes involving the upregulation of 19 KEGG pathways (FDR < 0.10), followed by Corexit 9500 with the upregulation of seven pathways (FDR < 0.10). As an important signature, pathways related to a response to DNA damage (e.g., p53 signaling and mismatch repair) dominate those upregulated by Corexit 9527 and Corexit 9500. In addition, pro-inflammatory pathways (e.g., cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, IL-17 signaling pathway and TNF signaling pathways) were upregulated selectively in oil-treated male mice. Surprisingly, oil + dispersant combinations caused lesser effects than the individual treatments at the transcriptomic level. Overall, these findings support potential genotoxicity, inflammation and cell death due to dispersant or oil exposures. Similar exposures to lung tumor bearing K-RasLA1 mice provided evidence for tumor promotion by oil and Corexit dispersant treatments. Our mouse RNA-seq analyses may be relevant to the pulmonary health hazards of MC252 oil and dispersants experienced in exposed populations.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

The Impact of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill upon Lung Health—Mouse Model-Based RNA-Seq Analyses

Liu

Miller

Zhuang

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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“…The DWH-CG Study evaluated acute neurological and mental health symptoms among Coast Guard responders during their response to the DWH oil spill. Increased prevalence of headaches, lightheadedness, difficulty concentrating, numbness/tingling sensation, blurred vision, and memory loss/confusion was associated with elevated frequency of crude oil exposure via inhalation and via skin contact (Krishnamurthy et al 2019;Rusiecki et al 2018). Exposure to both crude oil and oil dispersants yielded associations appreciably greater in magnitude than for crude oil alone (Krishnamurthy et al 2019).…”

Section: Humansmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…Increased prevalence of headaches, lightheadedness, difficulty concentrating, numbness/tingling sensation, blurred vision, and memory loss/confusion was associated with elevated frequency of crude oil exposure via inhalation and via skin contact (Krishnamurthy et al 2019;Rusiecki et al 2018). Exposure to both crude oil and oil dispersants yielded associations appreciably greater in magnitude than for crude oil alone (Krishnamurthy et al 2019). Wang et al (2020) found elevated prevalence of anxiety and depression among responders reporting longer oil spill response work duration and intensity, increasing exposure to crude oil, and physical symptoms.…”

Section: Humansmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of the toxicology of oil in vertebrates: what we have learned following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

Takeshita

Bursian

Colegrove

et al. 2021

Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B

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In the wake of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill, a number of government agencies, academic institutions, consultants, and nonprofit organizations conducted lab-and field-based research to understand the toxic effects of the oil. Lab testing was performed with a variety of fish, birds, turtles, and vertebrate cell lines (as well as invertebrates); field biologists conducted observations on fish, birds, turtles, and marine mammals; and epidemiologists carried out observational studies in humans. Eight years after the spill, scientists and resource managers held a workshop to summarize the similarities and differences in the effects of DWH oil on vertebrate taxa and to identify remaining gaps in our understanding of oil toxicity in wildlife and humans, building upon the cross-taxonomic synthesis initiated during the Natural Resource Damage Assessment. Across the studies, consistency was found in the types of toxic response observed in the different organisms. Impairment of stress responses and adrenal gland function, cardiotoxicity, immune system dysfunction, disruption of blood cells and their function, effects on locomotion, and oxidative damage were observed across taxa. This consistency suggests conservation in the mechanisms of action and disease pathogenesis. From a toxicological perspective, a logical progression of impacts was noted: from molecular and cellular effects that manifest as organ dysfunction, to systemic effects that compromise fitness, growth, reproductive potential, and survival. From a clinical perspective, adverse health effects from DWH oil spill exposure formed a suite of signs/symptomatic responses that at the highest doses/concentrations resulted in multi-organ system failure.

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“…The USCG study reported positive associations between exposure to crude oil, and in some cases oil and dispersant mixtures, and acute respiratory symptoms (Alexander et al, 2018); neurological symptoms including headache, lightheadedness, difficulty concentrating, numbness/ tingling sensa-tion, blurred vision, and memory loss/ confusion (Krishnamurthy et al, 2019); heat stress (Erickson et al, 2018); and skin issues, as well as some gastrointestinal and genitourinary symptoms that have not previously been well evaluated (Rusiecki et al, 2018).…”

Section: Worker Health Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Findings by McGowan et al (2017) suggest associations between exposure to dispersants, specifically Corexit EC9527A or Corexit EC9500A, and acute adverse health effects (e.g., respiratory and eye irritation and chest tightness at the time of the oil spill work as well as symptoms that were pres-ent at the time of study enrollment one to three years after the spill). Although only 5% of the Coast Guard personnel who responded to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Cohort study health questionnaire reported contact with both oil and dispersants, for example, through assignments to conduct Special Monitoring of Applied Oil Spill Technologies (Levine et al, 2011), self-reported adverse neurological health effects were worse for those workers than for those exposed only to oil, and heat exposure also exacerbated symptoms (Krishnamurthy et al, 2019). However, these authors cautioned that self-reported information can be subject to bias, and they did not have information about who was where and when in reference to possible exposures.…”

Section: Dispersantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human Health and Socioeconomic Effects of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico

Sandifer¹,

Ferguson²,

Finucane³

et al. 2021

Oceanog

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The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill is the only declared Spill of National Significance in US history, and it significantly impacted the health of people and communities in the Gulf of Mexico region. These impacts amplified adverse effects of prior disasters and may compound those of future traumas. Studies, both to date and ongoing, show some negative mental and physical health outcomes associated with DWH in some spill workers, as well as some coastal residents in all Gulf States. The spill was also associated with negative effects in the living resources, tourism, and recreation sectors, at least in the short term. Compared with others, people dependent on these sectors reported more health and financial concerns. Consumer concerns about the safety and marketability of seafood persisted well after data demonstrated very low risk. Parents were concerned about possible exposures of children as they played on beaches, but this risk was found to be minor. Spill-related stress was an overarching factor associated with adverse health outcomes, and some residents reported greater stress from navigating the legal and claims processes following the spill than from the spill itself. Research revealed a serious lack of baseline health, environmental, and socioeconomic data against which to compare spill effects. This finding highlighted the need for ongoing observing systems to monitor health and socioeconomic parameters and establish continuous baselines of such information.

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Neurological symptoms associated with oil spill response exposures: Results from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Coast Guard Cohort Study

Cited by 28 publications

References 22 publications

The Impact of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill upon Lung Health—Mouse Model-Based RNA-Seq Analyses

The Impact of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill upon Lung Health—Mouse Model-Based RNA-Seq Analyses

A review of the toxicology of oil in vertebrates: what we have learned following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

Human Health and Socioeconomic Effects of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico

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