Deepwater Horizon oil spill exposures and nonfatal myocardial infarction in the GuLF STUDY

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  • Strelitz, Jean
    • Affiliation: Gillings School of Global Public Health, Department of Epidemiology
  • Engel, Lawrence S
    • Affiliation: Gillings School of Global Public Health, Department of Epidemiology
  • Kwok, Richard K
    • Other Affiliation: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
  • Miller, Aubrey K
    • Other Affiliation: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
  • Blair, Aaron
    • Other Affiliation: National Cancer Institute
  • Sandler, Dale P
    • Other Affiliation: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Abstract
  • Background Workers involved in the response and clean-up of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill faced possible exposures to crude oil, burning oil, dispersants and other pollutants in addition to physical and emotional stress. These exposures may have increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI) among oil spill workers. Methods Gulf Long-term Follow-up (GuLF) STUDY participants comprise individuals who either participated in the Deepwater Horizon response efforts or registered for safety training but were not hired. Oil spill-related exposures were assessed during enrollment interviews conducted in 2011–2013. We estimated risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals for the associations of clean-up work characteristics with self-reported nonfatal MI up to three years post-spill. Results Among 31,109 participants without history of MI prior to the spill, 77% worked on the oil spill. There were 192 self-reported MI during the study period; 151 among workers. Among the full cohort, working on the oil spill clean-up (vs not working on the clean-up) and living in proximity to the oil spill (vs further away) were suggestively associated with a possible increased risk of nonfatal MI [RR: 1.22 (0.86, 1.73) and 1.15 (0.82, 1.60), respectively]. Among oil spill workers, working for > 180 days was associated with MI [RR for > 180 days (vs 1–30 days): 2.05 (1.05, 4.01)], as was stopping working due to heat [RR: 1.99 (1.43, 2.78)]. There were suggestive associations of maximum total hydrocarbon exposure ≥3.00 ppm (vs < 0.30 ppm) [RR: 1.69 (0.90, 3.19)] and working on decontaminating oiled equipment (vs administrative support) [1.72 (0.96, 3.09)] with nonfatal MI. Conclusion This is the first study to assess the associations between oil spill exposures and MI. Results suggest that working on the spill for > 180 days and stopping work due to heat increased risk of nonfatal MI. Future research should evaluate whether the observed associations are related to specific chemical exposures or other stressors associated with the spill.
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  • Article
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  • In Copyright
Rights holder
  • The Author(s).
Journal title
  • Environmental Health
Journal volume
  • 17
Journal issue
  • 1
Page start
  • 69
Language
  • English
Bibliographic citation
  • Environmental Health. 2018 Aug 25;17(1):69
Publisher
  • BioMed Central

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