U.S. Coast Guard members who were exposed to oil while
responding to the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe were twice as likely to
experience headaches and dizziness as those who were not, according to a new
study by researchers with the Uniformed Services University, a health science
university in Maryland that is run by the federal government.
And those who were exposed to dispersants as well as oil
were significantly more likely to report acute neurological symptoms than those
who were exposed only to the oil, said Jennifer Rusiecki, one of the study's
authors and a professor in the university's department of preventive medicine
and biostatistics.
Previous studies have examined lung and skin irritation in
relationship to exposure to oil and dispersants. But the new study provides a
glimpse of acute neurological effects stemming from exposure to the oil and
dispersants.
The study will be published in the journal Environment
International in October, but is available online now.
In addition to local fishers and coastal residents, more
than 8,500 U.S. Coast Guard personnel were deployed to help aid in the cleanup
after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion led to the largest marine oil spill
in U.S. history.
They provided support in placing containment booms, skimming
oil from the water's surface, cleaning up beaches, decontaminating equipment, administrative
work and a variety of other tasks.
No comments:
Post a Comment