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Liddell JL, Kington SG. "Something Was Attacking Them and Their Reproductive Organs": Environmental Reproductive Justice in an Indigenous Tribe in the United States Gulf Coast. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:E666. [PMID: 33466865 PMCID: PMC7830890 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18020666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Environmental reproductive justice is increasingly being utilized as a framework for exploring how environmental exploitation and pollution contribute to reproductive health and reproductive injustices. However, little research explores how settler colonialism and historical oppression contribute to the physical transformation of land, and how this undermines tribal members' health. Even less research explores the intersection of environmental justice and reproductive justice among Indigenous groups, especially in the Gulf South, who are especially vulnerable to environmental justice issues due to climate change, land loss, and oil company exploitation, and for tribes that are non-federally recognized. A qualitative description research methodology was used to conduct 31 life-history interviews with women from a Gulf Coast Indigenous tribe. Findings of this study reveal that central components of reproductive justice, including the ability to have children and the ability to raise children in safe and healthy environments, are undermined by environmental justice issues in the community. Among concerns raised by women were high rates of chronic healthcare issues among community members, and issues with infertility. Recognizing Indigenous sovereignty is central to addressing these environmental reproductive justice issues. This research is unique in exploring the topic of environmental reproductive justice among a state-recognized Gulf Coast tribe.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah G. Kington
- Department of Sociology, School of Liberal Arts, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA;
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2
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Rowe GT, Fernando H, Elferink C, Ansari GAS, Sullivan J, Heathman T, Quigg A, Petronella Croisant S, Wade TL, Santschi PH. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) cycling and fates in Galveston Bay, Texas, USA. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0243734. [PMID: 33370322 PMCID: PMC7769252 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0243734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The cycling and fate of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is not well understood in estuarine systems. It is critical now more than ever given the increased ecosystem pressures on these critical coastal habitats. A budget of PAHs and cycling has been created for Galveston Bay (Texas) in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, an estuary surrounded by 30-50% of the US capacity of oil refineries and chemical industry. We estimate that approximately 3 to 4 mt per year of pyrogenic PAHs are introduced to Galveston Bay via gaseous exchange from the atmosphere (ca. 2 mt/year) in addition to numerous spills of petrogenic PAHs from oil and gas operations (ca. 1.0 to 1.9 mt/year). PAHs are cycled through and stored in the biota, and ca. 20 to 30% of the total (0.8 to 1.5 mt per year) are estimated to be buried in the sediments. Oysters concentrate PAHs to levels above their surroundings (water and sediments) and contain substantially greater concentrations than other fish catch (shrimp, blue crabs and fin fish). Smaller organisms (infaunal invertebrates, phytoplankton and zooplankton) might also retain a significant fraction of the total, but direct evidence for this is lacking. The amount of PAHs delivered to humans in seafood, based on reported landings, is trivially small compared to the total inputs, sediment accumulation and other possible fates (metabolic remineralization, export in tides, etc.), which remain poorly known. The generally higher concentrations in biota from Galveston Bay compared to other coastal habitats can be attributed to both intermittent spills of gas and oil and the bay's close proximity to high production of pyrogenic PAHs within the urban industrial complex of the city of Houston as well as periodic flood events that transport PAHs from land surfaces to the Bay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilbert T. Rowe
- Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Harshica Fernando
- Department of Chemistry, Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, Texas, United States of America
| | - Cornelis Elferink
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - G. A. Shakeel Ansari
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - John Sullivan
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Thomas Heathman
- Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Antonietta Quigg
- Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | | | - Terry L. Wade
- Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Peter H. Santschi
- Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Marine and Coastal Environmental Science, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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3
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Altomare T, Tarwater PM, Ferguson AC, Solo-Gabriele HM, Mena KD. Estimating Health Risks to Children Associated with Recreational Play on Oil Spill-Contaminated Beaches. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 18:E126. [PMID: 33375407 PMCID: PMC7794795 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18010126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2020] [Revised: 12/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The human health impact from exposure to contaminated shorelines following an oil spill event has been investigated to some extent. However, the health risks to children have largely been characterized through the use of surveys and extrapolation from adult health outcomes. There is limited information on children's behaviors during beach play requiring assumptions made based on observations from play activities in home settings. The Beach Exposure and Child Health Study (BEACHES) quantified specific beach activities that can be used to inform human health risk assessments of children playing on beaches impacted by oil spills. The results of this study characterize children's risk of cancer from exposure to oil spill chemicals by incorporating exposure-related information collected from the BEACHES study and by assuming oral, dermal, and inhalation exposure routes. Point risk estimates are compared with a previous, similar study that applied default exposure parameter values obtained from the published literature. The point risk estimates informed by BEACHES data are one order of magnitude lower compared with the previous risk assessment, with dermal exposures the overall risk driver in both. Additional Monte Carlo simulations evaluating the BEACHES data provide ranges of health risks with the highest estimates associated with dermal and oral exposure routes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanu Altomare
- Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics & Environmental Sciences, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Patrick M. Tarwater
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA;
| | - Alesia C. Ferguson
- Built Environment Department, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC 27411, USA;
| | - Helena M. Solo-Gabriele
- Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA;
| | - Kristina D. Mena
- Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics & Environmental Sciences, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
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4
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Proper Use of Technical Standards in Offshore Petroleum Industry. JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/jmse8080555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Ships for drilling need to operate in the territorial waters of many different countries which can have different technical standards and procedures. For example, the European Union and European Economic Area EU/EEA product safety directives exclude from their scope drilling ships and related equipment onboard. On the other hand, the EU/EEA offshore safety directive requires the application of all the best technical standards that are used worldwide in the oil and gas industry. Consequently, it is not easy to select the most appropriate technical standards that increase the overall level of safety and environmental protection whilst avoiding the costs of additional certifications. We will show how some technical standards and procedures, which are recognized worldwide by the petroleum industry, can be accepted by various standardization bodies, and how they can fulfil the essential health and safety requirements of certain directives. Emphasis will be placed on the prevention of fire and explosion, on the safe use of equipment under pressure, and on the protection of personnel who work with machinery. Additionally considered is how the proper use of adequate procedures available at the time would have prevented three large scale offshore petroleum accidents: the Macondo Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010; the Montara in the Timor Sea in 2009; the Piper Alpha in the North Sea in 1988.
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5
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Pan H, Edwards SW, Ives C, Covert H, Harville EW, Lichtveld MY, Wickliffe JK, Hamilton CM. An Assessment of Environmental Health Measures in the Deepwater Horizon Research Consortia. CURRENT OPINION IN TOXICOLOGY 2020; 16:75-82. [PMID: 32457927 DOI: 10.1016/j.cotox.2019.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Research consortia play a key role in our understanding of how environmental exposures influence health and wellbeing, especially in the case of catastrophic events such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. A common challenge that prevents the optimal use of these data is the difficulty of harmonizing data regarding the environmental exposures and health effects across the studies within and among consortia. A review of the measures used by members of the Deepwater Horizon Research Consortia highlights the challenges associated with balancing timely implementation of a study to support disaster relief with optimizing the long-term value of the data. The inclusion of common, standard measures at the study design phase and a priori discussions regarding harmonization of study-specific measures among consortia members are key to overcoming this challenge. As more resources become available to support the use of standard measures, researchers now have the tools needed to rapidly coordinate their studies without compromising research focus or timely completion of the original study goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huaqin Pan
- RTI International, 3040 East Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
| | - Stephen W Edwards
- RTI International, 3040 East Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
| | - Cataia Ives
- RTI International, 3040 East Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
| | - Hannah Covert
- Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70112
| | - Emily W Harville
- Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70112
| | - Maureen Y Lichtveld
- Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70112
| | - Jeffrey K Wickliffe
- Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70112
| | - Carol M Hamilton
- RTI International, 3040 East Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
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Ferguson A, Solo-Gabriele H, Mena K. Assessment for oil spill chemicals: Current knowledge, data gaps, and uncertainties addressing human physical health risk. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 150:110746. [PMID: 31910518 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Revised: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Limited models are available to estimate human physical health risks (e.g., probability of outcomes such as lung disease, cancer, skin disease) from exposure to chemicals resulting from oil spills that may occur offshore and later impact coastline spills. An approach is presented to assess physical health risks from oil spills that involves establishing a platform capable of assessing aggregate health risk (via inhalation, ingestion, and dermal exposure routes). Gaps include the need to develop models reflecting oil spill concentration distributions given the influence from environmental, physical, biological and chemical factors. Human activities need to be quantified for different populations including emergency response workers, fishermen, shellfish consumers, and children who play at beaches that may be impacted by oil spills. Work is also needed in developing comprehensive toxicological profiles for the majority of chemicals - including dispersants found in oil spills - and to estimate toxicity from mixtures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alesia Ferguson
- University of North Carolina Agriculatural and Technical State University (NCAT), Built Environment Department, Greensboro, NC 27411, United States.
| | - Helena Solo-Gabriele
- University of Miami, Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, Coral Gables, FL 33146, United States.
| | - Kristina Mena
- University of Texas - Houston, School of Public Health, Houston, TX 77030.
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Covert HH, Sherman M, Le D, Lichtveld MY. Environmental health risk relationships, responsibility, and sources of information among Vietnamese Americans in coastal Mississippi. HEALTH RISK & SOCIETY 2020; 22:362-376. [PMID: 33762882 DOI: 10.1080/13698575.2020.1840528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Coastal communities along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico have been profoundly shaped by environmental health (EH) threats, reflecting the region's history of natural and technological disasters, as well as ongoing issues of environmental degradation and pollution. The Vietnamese American community in the state of Mississippi is vulnerable to EH threats, but there is limited research on their risk perceptions. Understanding perceptions of risk and responsibility is important to manage EH risks and promote community resilience. This community-based participatory research study characterizes Vietnamese American perceptions of EH risks, sources of information, and responsibility in coastal Mississippi. Five focus groups were conducted in 2016 and 2017 in Biloxi, Mississippi with Vietnamese Americans working in the seafood industry (n=24) and mothers of children under the age of 18 (n=25). Findings related to participants' concerns with air quality, drinking water quality, and the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill are interpreted using Boholm's relational theory of risk. Unreliable access to healthcare and limited English proficiency constrain participants from acting on their environmental health risk relationships. A community-based organization in Biloxi that works with Vietnamese Americans plays an important role in addressing risk in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah H Covert
- Center for Gulf Coast Environmental Health Research, Leadership and Strategic Initiatives, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
| | - Mya Sherman
- Center for Gulf Coast Environmental Health Research, Leadership and Strategic Initiatives, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
| | - Daniel Le
- Boat People SOS (BPSOS), Biloxi, Mississippi, United States
| | - Maureen Y Lichtveld
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
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8
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Rappold A, Hano M, Prince S, Wei L, Huang S, Baghdikian C, Stearns B, Gao X, Hoshiko S, Cascio W, Diaz‐Sanchez D, Hubbell B. Smoke Sense Initiative Leverages Citizen Science to Address the Growing Wildfire-Related Public Health Problem. GEOHEALTH 2019; 3:443-457. [PMID: 32159029 PMCID: PMC7038881 DOI: 10.1029/2019gh000199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Smoke Sense is a citizen science project with investigative, educational, and action-oriented objectives at the intersection of wildland fire smoke and public health. Participants engage with a smartphone application to explore current and forecast visualizations of air quality, learn about how to protect health from wildfire smoke, and record their smoke experiences, health symptoms, and behaviors taken to reduce their exposures to smoke. Through participation in the project, individuals engage in observing changes in their environment and recording changes in their health, thus facilitating progression on awareness of health effects of air pollution and adoption of desired health-promoting behaviors. Participants can also view what others are reporting. Data from the pilot season (1 August 2017 to 7 January 2018; 5,598 downloads) suggest that there is a clear demand for personally relevant data during wildfire episodes motivated by recognition of environmental hazard and the personal concern for health. However, while participants shared clear perceptions of the environmental hazard and health risks in general, they did not consistently recognize their own personal health risk. The engagement in health protective behavior was driven in response to symptoms rather than as preventive courses of action. We also observed clear differences in the adoption likelihood of various health protective behaviors attributed to barriers and perceived benefits of these actions. As users experience a greater number and severity of symptoms, the perceived benefits of taking health protective actions exceeded the costs associated with the barriers and thus increased adoption of those actions. Based on pilot season data, we summarize key insights which may improve current health risk communications in nudging individuals toward health protective behavior; there is a need to increase personal awareness of risk and compelling evidence that health protective behaviors are beneficial.
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Affiliation(s)
- A.G. Rappold
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Environmental Public Health DivisionResearch Triangle ParkDurhamNCUSA
| | - M.C. Hano
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Environmental Public Health DivisionResearch Triangle ParkDurhamNCUSA
| | - S. Prince
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Environmental Public Health DivisionResearch Triangle ParkDurhamNCUSA
| | - L. Wei
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Environmental Public Health DivisionResearch Triangle ParkDurhamNCUSA
| | | | - C. Baghdikian
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Environmental Public Health DivisionResearch Triangle ParkDurhamNCUSA
| | - B. Stearns
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Environmental Public Health DivisionResearch Triangle ParkDurhamNCUSA
| | - X. Gao
- Sequoia Foundation, La JollaSan DiegoCAUSA
| | - S. Hoshiko
- Environmental Health Investigations BranchDepartment of Public HealthRichmondCAUSA
| | - W.E. Cascio
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Environmental Public Health DivisionResearch Triangle ParkDurhamNCUSA
| | - D. Diaz‐Sanchez
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Environmental Public Health DivisionResearch Triangle ParkDurhamNCUSA
| | - B. Hubbell
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Environmental Public Health DivisionResearch Triangle ParkDurhamNCUSA
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Eklund RL, Knapp LC, Sandifer PA, Colwell RC. Oil Spills and Human Health: Contributions of the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative. GEOHEALTH 2019; 3:391-406. [PMID: 32159026 PMCID: PMC7038885 DOI: 10.1029/2019gh000217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/12/2019] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) was established in 2010 with $500 million in funding provided by British Petroleum over a 10-year period to support research on the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and recovery. Contributions of the GoMRI program to date focused on human health are presented in more than 32 peer-reviewed papers published between 2011 and May 2019. Primary findings from review of these papers are (i) the large quantity of dispersants used in the oil cleanup have been associated with human health concerns, including through obesogenicity, toxicity, and illnesses from aerosolization of the agents; (ii) oil contamination has been associated with potential for increases in harmful algal blooms and numbers of pathogenic Vibrio bacteria in oil-impacted waters; and (iii) members of Gulf communities who are heavily reliant upon natural resources for their livelihoods were found to be vulnerable to high levels of life disruptions and institutional distrust. Positive correlations include a finding that a high level of community attachment was beneficial for recovery. Actions taken to improve disaster response and reduce stress-associated health effects could lessen negative impacts of similar disasters in the future. Furthermore, GoMRI has supported annual conferences beginning in 2013 at which informative human health-related presentations have been made. Based on this review, it is recommended that the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 be updated to include enhanced funding for oil spill impacts to human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth L. Eklund
- Masters in Environmental and Sustainability Studies ProgramCollege of CharlestonCharlestonSCUSA
| | - Landon C. Knapp
- Center for Coastal Environmental and Human HealthCollege of CharlestonCharlestonSCUSA
| | - Paul A. Sandifer
- Center for Coastal Environmental and Human HealthCollege of CharlestonCharlestonSCUSA
| | - Rita C. Colwell
- University of MarylandMDUSA
- School of Public HealthJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMDUSA
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10
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Fernando H, Ju H, Kakumanu R, Bhopale KK, Croisant S, Elferink C, Kaphalia BS, Ansari GAS. Distribution of petrogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in seafood following Deepwater Horizon oil spill. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2019; 145:200-207. [PMID: 31590776 PMCID: PMC6785834 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 05/04/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
A community-based participatory research was utilized to address the coastal community's concern regarding Deepwater Horizon oil contamination of seafood. Therefore, we analyzed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), major toxic constituents of crude oil, in the seafood collected from gulf coast (Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi) during December 2011-February 2014. PAHs were extracted from edible part of shrimp, oysters, and crabs by the QuEChERS/dsPE procedure and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The total PAHs data were further analyzed using the General Linear Mixed Model procedure of the SAS (Version 9.3, SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC) statistical software. Brown shrimp showed statistically significant differences in PAHs levels with respect to time and locations while white shrimp showed differences at various time points. PAHs levels in oyster and crab samples were not statistically different at the Type I error of 0.05. Overall, the PAHs levels are far below FDA levels of concern for human consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harshica Fernando
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; Department of Chemistry and Physics, Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, TX 77446, USA
| | - Hyunsu Ju
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Ramu Kakumanu
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Kamlesh K Bhopale
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Sharon Croisant
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Cornelis Elferink
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Bhupendra S Kaphalia
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - G A Shakeel Ansari
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
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Meirs KW, Howarth MV. Environmentally Overburdened Gulf State Residents Lack Access to Environmental Specialty Care. New Solut 2018; 28:448-462. [PMID: 30165800 PMCID: PMC6350081 DOI: 10.1177/1048291118795693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Residents in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama have experienced repeated natural and man-made environmental exposures. As frequency and intensity of exposures increase, the need for environmental specialty care rises in environmentally overburdened communities. We evaluated access to environmental health expertise in these states. We determined if providers accepted private health insurance and/or self-pay mapping their location using ArcGIS. Of sixty-four physicians meeting inclusion criteria, only eleven (17%) accepted private health insurance and thirty-four (53%) accepted self-pay. The ratio of physicians with environmental expertise who accept private health insurance and/or self-pay, to the population is < 1:1,000,000. Occupational clinics employ specialty physicians to provide care to industry employees but generally not patients with non-work-related exposure. We discuss the implications of limited access to environmental specialty care. To improve the availability of specialty expertise in this region, we recommend increased funding for training physicians in environmental exposure assessment in underserved communities, especially environmental justice communities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marilyn V. Howarth
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia, PA, USA
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12
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Sullivan J, Croisant S, Howarth M, Rowe GT, Fernando H, Phillips-Savoy A, Jackson D, Prochaska J, Ansari GAS, Penning TM, Elferink C. Building and Maintaining a Citizen Science Network With Fishermen and Fishing Communities Post Deepwater Horizon Oil Disaster Using a CBPR Approach. New Solut 2018; 28:416-447. [PMID: 30180781 DOI: 10.1177/1048291118795156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
When the Deepwater Horizon oil rig blew out in 2010, the immediate threats to productive deep water and estuarial fisheries and the region's fishing and energy economies were obvious. Less immediately obvious, but equally unsettling, were risks to human health posed by potential damage to the regional food web. This paper describes grassroots and regional efforts by the Gulf Coast Health Alliance: health risks related to the Macondo Spill Fishermen's Citizen Science Network project. Using a community-based participatory research approach and a citizen science structure, the multiyear project measured exposure to petrogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, researched the toxicity of these polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compounds, and communicated project findings and seafood consumption guidelines throughout the region (coastal Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama). Description/analysis focuses primarily on the process of building a network of working fishermen and developing group environmental health literacy competencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Sullivan
- 1 University of Texas Medical Branch / Sealy Center for Environmental Health & Medicine, Galveston, TX, USA
| | | | - Marilyn Howarth
- 3 Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Dan Jackson
- 7 University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - John Prochaska
- 2 University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
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13
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D'Andrea MA, Reddy GK. The Development of Long-Term Adverse Health Effects in Oil Spill Cleanup Workers of the Deepwater Horizon Offshore Drilling Rig Disaster. Front Public Health 2018; 6:117. [PMID: 29755965 PMCID: PMC5932154 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2018.00117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The purpose of this study was to assess the long-term adverse health effects of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Gulf oil spill exposure in workers who participated in its cleanup work. Methods Medical charts of both the oil spill exposed and unexposed subjects were reviewed. The changes in the white blood cells, platelets, hemoglobin, hematocrit, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT) levels, as well as their pulmonary and cardiac functions were evaluated. Results Medical records from 88 subjects (oil spill cleanup workers, n = 44 and unexposed, n = 44) were reviewed during initial and 7 years follow up visits after the disaster occurred. Compared with the unexposed subjects, oil spill exposed subjects had significantly reduced platelet counts (×103/µL) at their initial (254.1 ± 46.7 versus 289.7 ± 63.7, P = 0.000) and follow-up (242.9 ± 55.6 versus 278.4 ± 67.6, P = 0.000) visits compared with the unexposed subjects (254.6 ± 51.9 versus 289.7 ± 63.7, P = 0.008). The hemoglobin and hematocrit levels were increased significantly both at their initial and follow-up visits in the oil spill exposed subjects compared to the unexposed subjects. Similarly, the oil spill exposed subjects had significantly increased ALP, AST, and ALT levels at their initial and follow-up visits compared with those of the unexposed subjects. Illness symptoms that were reported during their initial visit still persisted at their 7-year follow-up visit. Notably, at their 7-year follow-up visit, most of the oil spill exposed subjects had also developed chronic rhinosinusitis and reactive airway dysfunction syndrome as new symptoms that were not reported during their initial visit. Additionally, more abnormalities in pulmonary and cardiac functions were also seen in the oil spill exposed subjects. Conclusion This long-term follow-up study demonstrates that those people involved in the oil spill cleanup operations experiences persistent alterations or worsening of their hematological, hepatic, pulmonary, and cardiac functions. In addition, these subjects experienced prolonged or worsening illness symptoms even 7 years after their exposure to the oil spill.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A D'Andrea
- University Cancer and Diagnostic Centers, Houston, TX, United States
| | - G Kesava Reddy
- University Cancer and Diagnostic Centers, Houston, TX, United States
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Rahbar MH, Swingle HM, Christian MA, Hessabi M, Lee M, Pitcher MR, Campbell S, Mitchell A, Krone R, Loveland KA, Patterson DG. Environmental Exposure to Dioxins, Dibenzofurans, Bisphenol A, and Phthalates in Children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder Living near the Gulf of Mexico. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2017; 14:E1425. [PMID: 29160842 PMCID: PMC5708064 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph14111425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2017] [Revised: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Environmental exposure to organic endocrine disrupting chemicals, including dioxins, dibenzofurans, bisphenol A (BPA), and phthalates has been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We conducted a pilot monitoring study of 30 ASD cases and 10 typically developing (TD) controls ages 2-8 years from communities along the Gulf of Mexico near Alabama, which houses 14 Superfund sites, to assess the concentrations of dioxins and dibenzofurans in serum, and BPA and phthalate ester metabolites in urine. Based on General Linear Models, the lipid- or creatinine-adjusted geometric mean concentrations of the aforementioned chemicals did not differ between the ASD case and TD control groups (all p ≥ 0.27). We compared our findings to the adjusted means as reported by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, survey years 2011-2012, and found that TD controls in our study had lower BPA (59%) and MEHHP (26%) concentrations, higher MBP (50%) concentration, and comparable (<20% difference) MEP, MBZP, MEOHP, and MCPP concentrations. We also conducted a preliminary investigation of dietary exposures and found that the consumption of certain types of fish may be associated with higher OCDD concentrations, and the consumption of soft drinks and juices may be associated with lower BPA and MEOHP concentrations, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad H Rahbar
- Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences (EHGES), University of Texas School of Public Health at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
- Division of Clinical and Translational Sciences, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas McGovern Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
- Biostatistics/Epidemiology/Research Design (BERD) Component, Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences (CCTS), University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| | - Hanes M Swingle
- Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36604, USA.
| | - MacKinsey A Christian
- Biostatistics/Epidemiology/Research Design (BERD) Component, Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences (CCTS), University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| | - Manouchehr Hessabi
- Biostatistics/Epidemiology/Research Design (BERD) Component, Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences (CCTS), University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| | - MinJae Lee
- Division of Clinical and Translational Sciences, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas McGovern Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
- Biostatistics/Epidemiology/Research Design (BERD) Component, Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences (CCTS), University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| | - Meagan R Pitcher
- Baylor Licensing Group, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| | - Sean Campbell
- AXYS Analytical Services Ltd., Sidney, BC V8L5X2, Canada.
| | - Amy Mitchell
- Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36604, USA.
| | - Ryan Krone
- Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL 36604, USA.
| | - Katherine A Loveland
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas McGovern Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX 77054, USA.
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