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Johnston JE, Quist AJL, Navarro S, Farzan SF, Shamasunder B. Cardiovascular health and proximity to urban oil drilling in Los Angeles, California. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2024; 34:505-511. [PMID: 37553411 PMCID: PMC10850428 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-023-00589-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although ~18 million people live within a mile from active oil and gas development (OGD) sites in the United States, epidemiological research on how OGD affects the health of nearby urban residents is sparse. Thousands of OGD sites are spread across Los Angeles (LA) County, California, home to the largest urban oil production in the country. Air pollution and noise from OGD may contribute to cardiovascular morbidity. OBJECTIVE We examined the association between proximity to OGD and blood pressure in a diverse cohort of residents in LA. METHODS We recruited residents in South LA who lived <1 km from an OGD site. We collected three blood pressure measurements for each participant and used the second and third measurements to calculate averages for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) separately. We conducted multivariable linear regression to examine the relationship between distance to OGD sites and continuous SBP and DBP, adjusting for BMI, smoking status, distance to freeway, sex, age, and use of antihypertension medications, with a random effect for household. We examined effect measure modification by BMI category and smoking category. RESULTS Among the 623 adult participants, we found that for every 100 meter increase in distance from the OGD site, DBP was reduced by an average of 0.73 mmHg (95% CI: -1.26, -0.21) in this population. We observed stronger effects of proximity to OGD site on DBP among never smokers and among participants with a healthy BMI. The associations observed between proximity to OGD site and SBP were weaker but followed the same patterns as those for DBP. IMPACT Our study suggests that living near urban oil drilling sites is significantly associated with greater diastolic blood pressure in urban Los Angeles communities. This research improves understanding of impacts from living nearby drilling operations on the health and welfare of this community, which is critical to inform public health relevant strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill E Johnston
- Division of Environmental Health, Department of Population & Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Arbor J L Quist
- Division of Environmental Health, Department of Population & Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Shohreh F Farzan
- Division of Environmental Health, Department of Population & Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Bhavna Shamasunder
- Department of Urban & Environmental Policy, Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Hwang SH, Lee YJ, Choi YH, Huh DA, Kang MS, Moon KW. Long-term effects of the Hebei Spirit oil spill on the prevalence and incidence of allergic disorders. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:168801. [PMID: 38008335 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023]
Abstract
The Hebei Spirit oil spill accident occurred in December 2007, approximately 10 km off the coast of Taean, South Korea, a location notably close to residential areas. Crude oil substances have been detected in various environmental mediums since the accident, yet previous studies have primarily focused on the acute effects of oil exposure due to the short latency period of allergic diseases. Therefore, this study evaluated the long-term effects of oil spill exposure on allergic disorders. Our study included adult residents who had participated in the Health Effects Research on Hebei Spirit Oil Spill (HEROS) study up to five years post-incident, which was a prospective cohort to monitor the health status of Taean residents. We used two indicators to assess oil spill exposure, namely the distance from the initial contaminated coastline to each participant's residence and the number of days participants had engaged in oil clean-up work. Current symptoms such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, allergic conjunctivitis, and multimorbidity were considered allergic disorders. In the baseline survey, the prevalence of asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, allergic conjunctivitis, and allergic multimorbidity symptoms was associated with both exposure indicators; however, these associations were not observed in the two consecutive surveys. Significant longitudinal associations between oil spill exposure indicators and the four allergic disorders, as well as multimorbidity incidences, were observed during a five-year follow-up period. Our results suggest that oil spill exposure can affect acute and long-term allergic symptoms in residents near the accident site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Se Hyun Hwang
- Department of Health and Environmental Science, Korea University, Anam-ro 145, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong-Jin Lee
- Regional Environmental Health Center, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, 31 Suncheonhyang 6-gil, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan-si 31151, Republic of Korea; Department of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, 31 Suncheonhyang 6-gil, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan-si 31151, Republic of Korea
| | - Yun-Hee Choi
- Department of Health and Safety Convergence Science, Korea University, Anam-ro 145, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea; BK21 FOUR R & E Center for Learning Health System, Korea University, Anam-ro 145, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Da-An Huh
- Institute of Health Sciences, Korea University, Anam-ro 145, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.
| | - Min-Sung Kang
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, 31 Suncheonhyang 6-gil, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan-si 31151, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyong Whan Moon
- Department of Health and Environmental Science, Korea University, Anam-ro 145, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea; BK21 FOUR R & E Center for Learning Health System, Korea University, Anam-ro 145, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
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Choi YH, Kim L, Huh DA, Moon KW, Kang MS, Lee YJ. Association between oil spill clean-up work and thyroid cancer: Nine years of follow-up after the Hebei Spirit oil spill accident. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 199:116041. [PMID: 38237246 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
In 2007, an unprecedented oil spill occurred in Taean, Korea. Although crude oil contains chemicals that could increase thyroid cancer risk, few studies have examined the long-term effects of oil exposure during clean-up and thyroid cancer incidence. We investigated the long-term thyroid cancer incidence among participants involved in clean-up work. 1798 participants engaged in at least two surveys since the baseline was tracked from 2008 to 2018. Participants reported the days they participated in oil clean-up works and cancer diagnoses. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the hazard ratios between clean-up work duration and thyroid cancer. Over the 9-year follow-up, 30 thyroid cancer cases were diagnosed. A positive association was observed between clean-up duration and thyroid cancer risk. This effect was more pronounced among residents living <50 m from traffic roads. Our results indicate that crude oil clean-up work participation may increase the thyroid cancer risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Hee Choi
- Department of Health and Safety Convergence Science, Korea University, Anam-ro 145, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea; BK21 FOUR R&E Center for Learning Health System, Korea University, Anam-ro 145, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Lita Kim
- Department of Health and Safety Convergence Science, Korea University, Anam-ro 145, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea; BK21 FOUR R&E Center for Learning Health System, Korea University, Anam-ro 145, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Da-An Huh
- Institute of Health Sciences, Korea University, Anam-ro 145, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.
| | - Kyong Whan Moon
- BK21 FOUR R&E Center for Learning Health System, Korea University, Anam-ro 145, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea; Department of Health and Environmental Science, Korea University, Anam-ro 145, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Sung Kang
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, 31 Suncheonhyang 6-gil, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan-si 31151, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong-Jin Lee
- Regional Environmental Health Center, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, 31 Suncheonhyang 6-gil, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan-si 31151, Republic of Korea; Department of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, 31 Suncheonhyang 6-gil, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan-si 31151, Republic of Korea.
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Wang H, Chen H, Hong Y, Li W, Li G. Concentrating emulsified oily wastewater by integrated membrane technology. WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : A JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION ON WATER POLLUTION RESEARCH 2023; 87:2079-2089. [PMID: 37186616 PMCID: wst_2023_111 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2023.111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The effects of operating pressure, feed temperature, oil content of feed solution, and membrane surface flow rate on membrane flux, concentration multiple, and average particle size of oil droplets in the concentrated solution during the single-stage membrane concentration process were investigated. The experimental results show that within a certain operating range, the membrane flux increases with the increase of operating pressure, feed temperature, and membrane surface flow rate, while it decreases continuously with the increase of feed oil content. Optimal conditions for single stage concentration based on membrane flux, concentration factor, and average particle size of oil droplets in the concentrated solution were determined. Then, on the basis of single-stage membrane concentration conditions, three different pore size separation membranes are combined in different ways. After concentration through multi-stage membranes, the particle size of the oil droplets in the concentrate is greater than 20 μm, which is beyond the particle size range of the emulsified oil, and the concentration of the oil in the concentrate is 20-30 times that of the original oil. The method can realize the recovery of oil resources in the emulsified oil-containing wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongmei Wang
- College of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin 300222, China E-mail:
| | - Hao Chen
- College of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin 300222, China E-mail:
| | - Yibin Hong
- College of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin 300222, China E-mail:
| | - Wenxiang Li
- College of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin 300222, China E-mail:
| | - Guishui Li
- College of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin 300222, China E-mail:
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Chen D, Sandler DP, Keil AP, Heiss G, Whitsel EA, Edwards JK, Stewart PA, Stenzel MR, Groth CP, Ramachandran G, Banerjee S, Huynh TB, Jackson WB, Blair A, Lawrence KG, Kwok RK, Engel LS. Volatile Hydrocarbon Exposures and Incident Coronary Heart Disease Events: Up to Ten Years of Follow-up among Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Workers. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2023; 131:57006. [PMID: 37224072 PMCID: PMC10208425 DOI: 10.1289/ehp11859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND During the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) disaster, response and cleanup workers were potentially exposed to toxic volatile components of crude oil. However, to our knowledge, no study has examined exposure to individual oil spill-related chemicals in relation to cardiovascular outcomes among oil spill workers. OBJECTIVES Our aim was to investigate the association of several spill-related chemicals [benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, n-hexane (BTEX-H)] and total hydrocarbons (THC) with incident coronary heart disease (CHD) events among workers enrolled in a prospective cohort. METHODS Cumulative exposures to THC and BTEX-H across the cleanup period were estimated via a job-exposure matrix that linked air measurement data with self-reported DWH spill work histories. We ascertained CHD events following each worker's last day of cleanup work as the first self-reported physician-diagnosed myocardial infarction (MI) or a fatal CHD event. We estimated hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals for the associations of exposure quintiles (Q) with risk of CHD. We applied inverse probability weights to account for bias due to confounding and loss to follow-up. We used quantile g-computation to assess the joint effect of the BTEX-H mixture. RESULTS Among 22,655 workers with no previous MI diagnoses, 509 experienced an incident CHD event through December 2019. Workers in higher quintiles of each exposure agent had increased CHD risks in comparison with the referent group (Q1) of that agent, with the strongest associations observed in Q5 (range of HR = 1.14 - 1.44 ). However, most associations were nonsignificant, and there was no evidence of exposure-response trends. We observed stronger associations among ever smokers, workers with ≤ high school education, and workers with body mass index < 30 kg / m 2 . No apparent positive association was observed for the BTEX-H mixture. CONCLUSIONS Higher exposures to volatile components of crude oil were associated with modest increases in risk of CHD among oil spill workers, although we did not observe exposure-response trends. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11859.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dazhe Chen
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Dale P. Sandler
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Alexander P. Keil
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Gerardo Heiss
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Eric A. Whitsel
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jessie K. Edwards
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Mark R. Stenzel
- Exposure Assessment Applications, LLC, Arlington, Virginia, USA
| | - Caroline P. Groth
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
| | - Gurumurthy Ramachandran
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Sudipto Banerjee
- Department of Biostatistics, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California – Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Tran B. Huynh
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - W. Braxton Jackson
- Social & Scientific Systems, Inc, a DLH Holdings Company, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Aaron Blair
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Kaitlyn G. Lawrence
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Richard K. Kwok
- Population Studies and Genetics Branch, National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Lawrence S. Engel
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
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Chen D, Sandler DP, Keil AP, Heiss G, Whitsel EA, Pratt GC, Stewart PA, Stenzel MR, Groth CP, Banerjee S, Huynh TB, Edwards JK, Jackson WB, Engeda J, Kwok RK, Werder EJ, Lawrence KG, Engel LS. Fine particulate matter and incident coronary heart disease events up to 10 years of follow-up among Deepwater Horizon oil spill workers. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 217:114841. [PMID: 36403648 PMCID: PMC9825646 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND During the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) disaster, in-situ burning and flaring were conducted to remove oil from the water. Workers near combustion sites were potentially exposed to burning-related fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Exposure to PM2.5 has been linked to increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), but no study has examined the relationship among oil spill workers. OBJECTIVES To investigate the association between estimated PM2.5 from burning/flaring of oil/gas and CHD risk among the DWH oil spill workers. METHODS We included workers who participated in response and cleanup activities on the water during the DWH disaster (N = 9091). PM2.5 exposures were estimated using a job-exposure matrix that linked modelled PM2.5 concentrations to detailed DWH spill work histories provided by participants. We ascertained CHD events as the first self-reported physician-diagnosed CHD or a fatal CHD event that occurred after each worker's last day of burning exposure. We estimated hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) for the associations between categories of average or cumulative daily maximum PM2.5 exposure (versus a referent category of water workers not near controlled burning) and subsequent CHD. We assessed exposure-response trends by examining continuous exposure parameters in models. RESULTS We observed increased CHD hazard among workers with higher levels of average daily maximum exposure (low vs. referent: HR = 1.26, 95% CI: 0.93, 1.70; high vs. referent: HR = 2.11, 95% CI: 1.08, 4.12; per 10 μg/m3 increase: HR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.19). We also observed suggestively elevated HRs among workers with higher cumulative daily maximum exposure (low vs. referent: HR = 1.19, 95% CI: 0.68, 2.08; medium vs. referent: HR = 1.38, 95% CI: 0.88, 2.16; high vs. referent: HR = 1.44, 95% CI: 0.96, 2.14; per 100 μg/m3-d increase: HR = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.05). CONCLUSIONS Among oil spill workers, exposure to PM2.5 from flaring/burning of oil/gas was associated with increased risk of CHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dazhe Chen
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Dale P Sandler
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Alexander P Keil
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Gerardo Heiss
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Eric A Whitsel
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Gregory C Pratt
- Division of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | | | - Mark R Stenzel
- Exposure Assessment Applications, LLC, Arlington, VA, USA
| | - Caroline P Groth
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Sudipto Banerjee
- Department of Biostatistics, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California - Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Tran B Huynh
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jessie K Edwards
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - W Braxton Jackson
- Social & Scientific Systems, Inc, a DLH Holdings Company, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Joseph Engeda
- Social & Scientific Systems, Inc, a DLH Holdings Company, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Richard K Kwok
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA; Office of the Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Emily J Werder
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Kaitlyn G Lawrence
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Lawrence S Engel
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
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Kwok RK, Jackson WB, Curry MD, Stewart PA, McGrath JA, Stenzel M, Huynh TB, Groth CP, Ramachandran G, Banerjee S, Pratt GC, Miller AK, Zhang X, Engel LS, Sandler DP. Association of Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Response and Cleanup Work With Risk of Developing Hypertension. JAMA Netw Open 2022; 5:e220108. [PMID: 35195699 PMCID: PMC8867245 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.0108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Exposure to hydrocarbons, fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and other chemicals from the April 20, 2010, Deepwater Horizon disaster may be associated with increased blood pressure and newly detected hypertension among oil spill response and cleanup workers. OBJECTIVE To determine whether participation in cleanup activities following the disaster was associated with increased risk of developing hypertension. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cohort study was conducted via telephone interviews and in-person home exams. Participants were 6846 adults who had worked on the oil spill cleanup (workers) and 1505 others who had completed required safety training but did not do cleanup work (nonworkers). Eligible participants did not have diagnosed hypertension at the time of the oil spill. Statistical analyses were performed from June 2018 to December 2021. EXPOSURES Engagement in cleanup activities following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster, job classes, quintiles of cumulative total hydrocarbons exposure level, potential exposure to burning or flaring oil, and estimated PM2.5 were examined. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements were collected during home exams from 2011 to 2013 using automated oscillometric monitors. Newly detected hypertension was defined as antihypertensive medication use or elevated blood pressure since the spill. Log binomial regression was used to calculate prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% CIs for associations between cleanup exposures and hypertension. Multivariable linear regression was used to estimate exposure effects on continuous blood pressure levels. RESULTS Of 8351 participants included in this study, 6484 (77.6%) were male, 517 (6.2%) were Hispanic, 2859 (34.2%) were non-Hispanic Black, and 4418 (52.9%) were non-Hispanic White; the mean (SD) age was 41.9 (12.5) years at enrollment. Among workers, the prevalence of newly detected hypertension was elevated in all quintiles (Q) of cumulative total hydrocarbons above the first quintile (PR for Q3, 1.29 [95% CI, 1.13-1.46], PR for Q4, 1.25 [95% CI, 1.10-1.43], and PR for Q5, 1.31 [95% CI, 1.15-1.50]). Both exposure to burning and/or flaring oil and gas (PR, 1.16 [95% CI, 1.02-1.33]) and PM2.5 from burning (PR, 1.26 [95% CI, 0.89-1.71]) for the highest exposure category were associated with increased risk of newly detected hypertension, as were several types of oil spill work including cleanup on water (PR, 1.34 [95% CI, 1.08-1.66]) and response work (PR, 1.51 [95% CI, 1.20-1.90]). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Oil spill exposures were associated with newly detected hypertension after the Deepwater Horizon disaster. These findings suggest that blood pressure screening should be considered for workers with occupational hydrocarbon exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard K. Kwok
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
- Office of the Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - W. Braxton Jackson
- Social & Scientific Systems, Inc, a DLH holdings company, Durham, North Carolina
| | | | | | - John A. McGrath
- Social & Scientific Systems, Inc, a DLH holdings company, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Mark Stenzel
- Exposure Assessment Applications, LLC, Arlington, Virginia
| | - Tran B. Huynh
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Caroline P. Groth
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, West Virginia University, Morgantown
| | - Gurumurthy Ramachandran
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Sudipto Banerjee
- Department of Biostatistics, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Gregory C. Pratt
- Division of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
| | - Aubrey K. Miller
- Office of the Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Xian Zhang
- Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill
| | - Lawrence S. Engel
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill
| | - Dale P. Sandler
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
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Denic-Roberts H, Rowley N, Haigney MC, Christenbury K, Barrett J, Thomas DL, Engel LS, Rusiecki JA. Acute and longer-term cardiovascular conditions in the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Coast Guard Cohort. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 158:106937. [PMID: 34688052 PMCID: PMC8688193 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In 2010, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) led a clean-up response to the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill. Human studies evaluating acute and longer-term cardiovascular conditions associated with oil spill-related exposures are sparse. Thus, we aimed to investigate prevalent and incident cardiovascular symptoms/conditions in the DHW Oil Spill Coast Guard Cohort. METHODS Self-reported oil spill exposures and cardiovascular symptoms were ascertained from post-deployment surveys (n = 4,885). For all active-duty cohort members (n = 45,193), prospective cardiovascular outcomes were classified via International Classification of Diseases, 9th Edition from military health encounter records up to 5.5 years post-DWH. We used log-binomial regression to calculate adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) in the cross-sectional analyses and Cox Proportional Hazards regression to calculate adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) and 95% CIs for incident cardiovascular diagnoses during 2010-2015 and stratifying by earlier (2010-2012) and later (2013-2015) time periods. RESULTS Prevalence of chest pain was associated with increasing levels of crude oil exposure via inhalation (aPRhigh vs. none = 2.00, 95% CI = 1.16-3.42, p-trend = 0.03) and direct skin contact (aPRhigh vs. none = 2.72, 95% CI = 1.30-5.16, p-trend = 0.03). Similar associations were observed for sudden heartbeat changes and for being in the vicinity of burning oil exposure. In prospective analyses, responders (vs. non-responders) had an elevated risk for mitral valve disorders during 2013-2015 (aHR = 2.12, 95% CI = 1.15-3.90). Responders reporting ever (vs. never) crude oil inhalation exposure were at increased risk for essential hypertension, particularly benign essential hypertension during 2010-2012 (aHR = 2.00, 95% CI = 1.08-3.69). Responders with crude oil inhalation exposure also had an elevated risk for palpitations during 2013-2015 (aHR = 2.54, 95% CI = 1.36-4.74). Cardiovascular symptoms/conditions aPR and aHR estimates were generally stronger among responders reporting exposure to both crude oil and oil dispersants than among those reporting neither. CONCLUSIONS In this large study of the DWH oil spill USCG responders, self-reported spill clean-up exposures were associated with acute and longer-term cardiovascular symptoms/conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hristina Denic-Roberts
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA; Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, MD, USA
| | - Nicole Rowley
- Department of Laboratory Animal Resources, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Mark C Haigney
- Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kate Christenbury
- Social & Scientific Systems, Inc., A DLH Holdings Corp Company ("DLH"), Durham, NC, USA
| | - John Barrett
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Dana L Thomas
- United States Coast Guard Headquarters, Directorate of Health, Safety, and Work Life, Washington, D.C., USA
| | - Lawrence S Engel
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jennifer A Rusiecki
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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