The Gulf Oil Spill
Crisis as Catalyst Series
Edward A. Emmett, MD
October 2010
History of Offshore Oil Releases and
Explosions
Natural Releases
Oil & Gas Exploration and Production
Events
Multiple with Differing Oil Types
Exxon Valdez Spill (heavy thick oil)
Prestige Oil Spill off Spain
Explosion and Oil Release Deepwater
Horizon Offshore Drilling Rig
Rig Explosion
In Gulf of Mexico 42 miles offshore from
Venice LA, 5200 feet undersea
Explosion April 10, 2010 kills 11 workers, injures
17 others, destroys rig
Subsequent Oil-Leak
Difficult to know exact volume of leakage,
Estimated Total 4.4 + 20% Million Barrels (1bbl
=42 gallons)
Likely ~68,000 barrels per day
Light Sweet Crude (low viscosity)
Video image June 10, 2010 shows oil continuing to pour out at the site of the
Deepwater Horizon oil well in the Gulf of Mexico. (AP Photo/BP PLC)
Response to Spill
Rescue and Recovery
Cleanup Efforts
> 1 M Gallons Proprietary Dispersants Used
Burning Surface Oil
Skimming
Booms and Physical Barriers
Initial Attempts at Capping Unsuccessful, Finally
Capped July 15
2,500 Skimming Vessels including ~2000 “Vessels
of Opportunity” (local boat operators) on Gulf by
June 10 2010
A controlled oil burn is seen near the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the
Gulf of Mexico, Sunday, July 11, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Support vessels surrounding the Helix Q4000, the vessel being used to perform the
static kill operation, Aug. 3, 2010. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Oil Exposure
Oil - Complex Mixture of Hydrocarbons
Oils all contain similar compounds, but proportions differ
(Deep Water Horizon- Light Sweet crude)
Components Include
Straight and branched chain hydrocarbons
Aromatic Hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, xylene etc)
PAH and homologs
Sulfur, some heavy metals
Residues- asphaltenes (road tar)
Alkyl Homologues of PAH and other aromatics – not
measured by standard EPA methods
Weathering of Oil in Ocean
Initially the lighter components (shorter aliphatics, benzene,
etc) are lost to the column of water and surface
evaporation. About 50% of column has been lost when it
surfaces.
Emulsification results in “red mousse’ appearance
Weathered oil S.G. ~similar to water -> buoyancy rising to
surface, forming plumes, sinking.
Dispersion enhanced by chemical dispersants (proprietary
sulfonates).
Biodegradation (oil-eating microbes) , photo-oxidation.
Burning will form pyrolysis products (PAH, particulate matter)
Tar Balls from Deepwater horizon after a few days on beach
are not sticky and almost odorless.
A blob of oil floats from the Gulf of Mexico into the mouth of the Mississippi River
near Venice, Louisiana, on May 17.
Tourists watch as Steve Gardner of Mobile scrapes oil from the sand along a 700-yard
long strip of oil in Gulf Shores, Ala., Friday, June 4, 2010. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
Potential Categories of Hazards Related
to Gulf Oil Spill & Response Efforts
• Chemical (e.g., oil, dispersants, degreasers, soaps)
• Biological (e.g., plants, animals, insects, remediation
materials)
• Biohazardous debris (e.g., syringes on shoreline)
• Workplace injuries (e.g., slips, trips, falls, cuts)
• Ergonomic stresses (e.g., repetitive stress, low back pain)
• Heat stress, sunburn, and fatigue
• Fires (including exposure to particulate matter) and
explosions
• Psychological stress
• Drowning and injuries from underwater diving
• Noise
• Electricity
Potential Toxicity of Oil
7 Studied Supertanker Oil Spills in last 50 Years
• Acute eye and throat irritation, transient declines in
pulmonary function, “neurologic” (nausea, vomiting,
headaches), and psychological (anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress) symptoms.
• No liver, kidney, long-lasting respiratory effects
• Transient DNA damage without cytotoxic changes from
Prestige spill, , increased in volunteers, users of highpressure machines
Physical injuries- especially associated with bird
cleaning
No long-term follow-up studies of Exposed Groups
Specific components of concern PAH, benzene,
dispersants etc
Potential Routes of Chemical
Exposure to Humans
• Dermal
• Respiratory
• Ingestion
– Contaminated seafood
– Drinking contaminated water
Schematic Exposure & Concern in
Relation to Proximity to Leak
(Howard NIOSH)
Vulnerable Groups and
Vulnerabilities
Potential Vulnerable Groups
Children
Pregnant
Diseased
Mentally stressed
Community Vulnerability including post Hurricanes
Rita and Katrina, Environmental Justice
Communities in Gulf Region
Potential for Hurricanes/other weather events to
disturb/disperse oil columns
Sand blows across a tiger dam on beach as outer edges of Tropical Storm Alex
approach the coast, Grand Isle, La., June 29, 2010. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Spill: Some Important Health Effects
•
•
•
•
•
Deaths/Injuries in Rig Workers
Acute irritation effects
Heat Stress
Psychological Stress
Long-term exposure effects?
Surveillance - Health Effects
Syndromic Surveillance
Data on sets of symptoms that may be exposure
related.
States: Hospital , ER and Urgent Care
Centers (e.g. FL ESSENCE)
CDC: BioSense data from DOD, VA facilities
Reporting Surveillance
Reports from Poison Control Centers (real-time),
Physician Clinics, others
Investigation of Suspected Clusters
Surveillance Health Effects
State Syndromic Surveillance Findings
AL ERs: 29 exposure related visits in coastal Zone(18
inhalational, 8 dermal, 3 ingestion)
LA : No increase in asthma or respiratory illness
MS, TX No increases
State Reporting Surveillance
AL: 57 mild (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, rash), 9 moderate. 50
Inhalation, 12 dermal, 4 ingestion
17 on barge ill from CO produced by malfunctioning generator
LA: 108 rig or cleanup workers,35 public (headaches, nausea &
throat irritation
CDC Syndromic Surveillance Findings 0 to date
Heat Related Problems
Heat-Related Conditions
Heat Stress
50-75% increase in unsafe behaviors
Worse outcomes in non-acclimatized
Increased associated injuries
Exertional Heat Stroke
Heat Fatigue
Effect of cumulative exposures, impact not well understood
Increased Vulnerability
Gulf summer environment
Exertion
Personal Protective Equipment
Acclimatization may be assumed
Pathways for Communication and information about heat avoiding
behaviors
Exxon Valdez: Mental Health Consequences
Several Studies somewhat hampered by
protracted litigation
Oiled Mayors Study
• Exposure = direct contact with oil, damage or property
loss, 7 disruptions to social and economic activities
• Increased Odds Ratios for high v low exposure for
General Anxiety Disorder (3.6), PTSD (2.6) and
Depressive symptoms (2.1)
Other Reports; increased use of social services,
drug abuse, domestic violence, decline in
traditional social relations
Traditional Alaskan Natives, cleanup workers,
women, families and children most vulnerable
Childhood Vulnerabilty to Stress PostKatrina
• Children exposed to long-term persistent stress
without strong mitigating parenting (resilient,
stable), likely to suffer irreversible effects with
increased medical conditions in adulthood.
• 2001 WTC attacks followed by increased anxiety
and PTSD.
• Post Katrina:
– 75% of affected children demonstrated serious
psychological issues
– 4X rate of serious emotional disorders
– 2X likelihood of too old for grade
Gulf: Early Mental Health Effects
• Unique Gulf Factors
– Retraumatization – Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav,
recent GEC
– Population diversity – ethnographic/cultural
– History; fishermen, tourism, Southern culture
• Long-term Studies Post-Katrina Establish
Baseline
• Early Reports
– Increased domestic violence, drug offences, focus
groups reveal increased suspiciousness, arguments,
depression, suicidal thoughts, alcohol consumption
Crisis as Catalyst – Selected
Issues
Status of Surveillance Systems
Research Needs
Communications Leading to Preventive
Actions
Lessons
• Agency and Federal-State coordination
improved over Katrina
• Some improved responses but groups
such as volunteers not well dealt with.
• Slow response on some items eg
commencing research data gathering.
• Risk communication confused “what was
the health message”
• Others still to be learned…
Health Surveillance- Needed Improvements- State
Perspectives
Surveillance systems in place before Disaster were useful
Issues and needs
• Voluntary, unvalidated Reports
• Link to exposure? Nausea, headaches from heat stress
or exposure?
• No monitoring for silent, unlikely to be attributed eg
hypertension, cardiovascular events
• Inadequate mental health monitoring
• Resident/worker status undefined
• Occupational groups may not be included
• Workers from Interstate, where reported?
• Poison Control Calls to Rocky Mountain Center
• Federal funds for “episodes” not infrastructure
Risk Assessment and Communication
Context
Many vested interests who benefit (politically, economically)
from different messages or spin.
Animosity towards authorities, fears of losing job if complain
Lab-rat weary populations, distrust of research not leading to
actionable outcomes
Conflicting Foci
Actionable information –provides information that guides
specific actions or decisions?
Communicate uncertainties -determines what new
information is needed, overriding concern for scientific and
agency accuracy
Research - Learning from This Event
and the Aftermath
NIH – Long Term Epidemiologic Study
• Slow response to disaster ?
• Research Consortia being encouraged
• $10M from NIH, Government Epidemiologists to lead
Additional Research funding from BP
$50M per year for 10 years
~10M /yr for Health -Mechanism of distribution yet
undetermined
Address Specific Important Questions
Heat Stress Prevention?
Answer Questions of Community Concern?
Legal and Ownership Impediments to Data Acquisition