The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Coast Guard Cohort study

Abstract

ObjectivesLong-term studies of oil spill responders are urgently needed as oil spills continue to occur. To this end, we established the prospective Deepwater Horizon (DWH) Oil Spill Coast Guard Cohort study.MethodsDWH oil spill responders (n=8696) and non-responders (n=44 823) who were members of the US Coast Guard (20 April–17 December 2010) were included. This cohort uses both prospective, objective health data from military medical encounters and cross-sectional survey data. Here, we describe the cohort, present adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) estimating cross-sectional associations between crude oil exposure (none, low/medium, high) and acute physical symptoms, and present adjusted relative risks (RRs) based on longitudinal medical encounter data (2010–2012) for responders/non-responders and responders exposed/not exposed to crude oil.ResultsResponders and non-responders in this large cohort (n=53 519) have similar characteristics. Crude oil exposure was reported by >50% of responders. We found statistically significant associations for crude oil exposure with coughing (PRhigh=1.78), shortness of breath (PRhigh=2.30), wheezing (PRhigh=2.32), headaches (PRhigh=1.46), light-headedness/dizziness (PRhigh=1.96), skin rash/itching (PRhigh=1.87), diarrhoea (PRhigh=1.76), stomach pain (PRhigh=1.67), nausea/vomiting (PRhigh=1.48) and painful/burning urination (PRhigh=2.89) during deployment. Longitudinal analyses revealed that responders had elevated RRs for dermal conditions (RR=1.09), as did oil-exposed responders for chronic respiratory conditions (RR=1.32), asthma (RR=1.83) and dermal conditions (RR=1.21).ConclusionsWe 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.

Oil Spills and Human Health: Contributions of the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative

“…Corexit dispersants were identified and calculated to be in the 100-200 ppb range in the water column (Gray et al, 2014;Kujawinski et al, 2011), strongly suggesting a need for research into potential exposure effects on humans. Both investigator teams focused on a probable obesogen, dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate (DOSS), a component of Corexit, the main dispersant mixture used in DWH cleanup (Rusiecki et al, 2018). Both investigator teams focused on a probable obesogen, dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate (DOSS), a component of Corexit, the main dispersant mixture used in DWH cleanup (Rusiecki et al, 2018).…”

“…However, effects of crude oil on human health have not been well studied (Woodward, 2010), although recent efforts such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) GuLF STUDY (Kwok et al, 2017) and the Coast Guard Study (Rusiecki et al, 2018) are adding much new information. However, effects of crude oil on human health have not been well studied (Woodward, 2010), although recent efforts such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) GuLF STUDY (Kwok et al, 2017) and the Coast Guard Study (Rusiecki et al, 2018) are adding much new information.…”

“…Oil contamination is not only a concern for the environment but also for human health. However, effects of crude oil on human health have not been well studied (Woodward, 2010), although recent efforts such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) GuLF STUDY (Kwok et al, 2017) and the Coast Guard Study (Rusiecki et al, 2018) are adding much new information. Within a few weeks after the DWH oil spill, British Petroleum (BP) announced a $500 million fund for research on the environmental and health impacts of the spill.…”

Some clues for studying long-term health effects of oil spills

“…Several large-scale studies were initiated to study the human health effects of the DWH spill, including the Gulf Long-term Follow-up (GuLF) study,4 the Women and Their Children’s Health (WaTCH) study5 and the Coast Guard Cohort Study 6…”

“…In the Coast Guard Cohort Study,6 several methodological steps forward were taken, avoiding various of the above discussed limitations of other oil spill studies. First, the study population is relatively large (almost 6000 with health encounter data), and the non-exposed control group is large (almost 40 000), appropriate and comparable since it is based on the same workforce.…”