Assessing Exposures from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Response and Clean-up

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Occupational Health
• Toxicology

Background:

• The Deepwater Horizon disaster led to extensive oil spill response and cleanup operations.
• Workers involved in these operations may have been exposed to various hazardous substances.
• Assessing these exposures is crucial for understanding potential adverse health effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a comprehensive exposure assessment for workers involved in the Deepwater Horizon response and cleanup.
• To estimate inhalation and dermal exposures to oil-related chemicals and particulate matter.
• To provide exposure data for evaluating exposure-response relationships in the GuLF Study.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Bayesian statistical methods and over 135,000 measurements for total hydrocarbons (THC) and BTEX-H (benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, xylene, n-hexane).
• Employed deterministic models to estimate airborne exposures to particulate matter (PM2.5) and dispersant aerosols/vapors.
• Developed a modified model for estimating dermal exposures and used professional judgment for oil mist exposures.

Main Results:

• Estimated daily mean THC levels were in the low parts per million (ppm) range (<25 ppm).
• BTEX-H exposure estimates were generally below 1000 ppb.
• Potential 1-h PM2.5 concentrations reached up to 550 µg m-3 for some workers; dispersant aerosol concentrations were low, but 2-butoxyethanol vapors occasionally exceeded guidelines.
• Significant variations in daily dermal exposure estimates were observed among participants.

Conclusions:

• The exposure assessment provides critical data for the GuLF Study.
• Inhalation and dermal exposure estimates vary widely, highlighting the need for individualized assessments.
• These comprehensive exposure data will be used to explore links between occupational exposures and health outcomes in the studied population.