The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Coast Guard Cohort Study

Details

• Personal Author:
  Alexander M ; Barrett J ; Christenbury K ; Engel LS ; Funk RH ; Johndrow D ; Rusiecki J ; Schwartz EG ; Wang L ; Weems L
• Description:
  Objectives: Long-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. Methods: DWH 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. Results: Responders 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). Conclusions: 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. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Asthma Asthma, Occupational Cohort Studies Digestive System Digestive System Diseases Emergency Responders Environmental Exposure Environmental Pollution Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety Skin Surveys And Questionnaires

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• Keywords:
  Clinical Symptoms Cohort Studies Crude Oil Deepwater Horizon Dermal Exposures Disaster Recovery Emergency Responders Employee Exposure Environmental Contamination Environmental Exposure Exposure Assessment Gastrointestinal System Disorders Health Effects Health Surveys Long Term Study Medical Records Military Personnel Oil Spills Physical Reactions Respiratory System Disorders Risk Assessment Skin Irritants Statistical Analysis Stomach Disorders

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• ISSN:
  1351-0711
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Arkansas ; District of Columbia ; Georgia ; Maryland ; North Carolina ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 6
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  EPRO - Emergency Preparedness and Response Office
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  165-175
• Volume:
  75
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20050343
• Citation:
  Occup Environ Med 2018 Mar; 75(3):165-175
• Contact Point Address:
  Dr Jennifer Rusiecki, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, F Edward Hebert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University, Jones Bridge Rd, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, USA
• Email:
  jennifer.rusiecki@usuhs.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2018
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:5d3d5d1c3b331c592f812b6e99125edf1daebcb02303f5e1733c1fffe23e2a175912aab66f0e1cb9b0199b3a55321045ae88dda691cb6b3d6629204d22e704ed
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/210726/cdc_210726_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 647.27 KB ]