Oil Spill Rescue Workers Health Still at Risk

Even though much of the media urgency of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill has dwindled following the capping the worst gusher in the nation’s history, for those who helped with the rescue and clean-up efforts, their struggle still remains very real.

According to a group of researchers, clean-up workers, fishermen and members of coastal communities continue to face health risks and health effects following their efforts with managing the largest man-made environmental disaster in U.S. history.

“Clinicians should be aware of, and look for, evidence of toxicity from exposures to oil and related chemicals. Symptomatic patients should be asked about occupation and location of residence, the physical examination should focus on the skin, respiratory tract, neurological system,” said Dr. Sarah Janssen, an assistant clinical professor at the University of California, San Francisco and a senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in San Francisco. Dr. Janssen expressed these findings in a  UCSF news release.

“The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is well known as an ecological disaster, but what is less known is the risk to human health caused by oil contamination,” article senior author Dr. Gina Solomon, senior director of UCSF’s occupational and environmental medicine residency and fellowship program and senior scientist at the NRDC, said in the news release via the Associated Press.

“We want to reach the volunteers, clean-up workers, fishermen, medical specialists and community members with practical information about the impact to their health from these chemicals. With correct information, we hope they can protect themselves and seek treatment if they don’t feel well,” Solomon said.

In addition to the skin and respiratory effects, the long-term mental health consequences are also of great concern to researchers evaluating the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which erupted on April 20 and killed 11 platform workers. The safety of seafood and the air quality are also pressing issues.

While much of the media frenzy has died down, disaster relief workers, environmental scientists and researchers and some government officials continue to work tirelessly on learning from this disaster and monitoring the effects both on land and in the sea.

Tags: environmental health, food safety, health risks, oil spill, seafood