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Association of Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Response and Cleanup Work With Risk of Developing Hypertension
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Association of Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Response and Cleanup Work With Risk of Developing Hypertension

Richard K. Kwok, W. Braxton I. I. I. I. Jackson, Matthew D. Curry, Patricia A. Stewart, John A. McGrath, Mark Stenzel, Tran B. Huynh, Caroline P. Groth, Gurumurthy Ramachandran, Sudipto Banerjee, …
JAMA network open, v 5(2), pp e220108-e220108
23 Feb 2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.0108
PMID: 35195699
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
url
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/articlepdf/2789275/kwok_2022_oi_220008_1647281912.33128.pdfView
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open
url
https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.0108View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open

Abstract

General & Internal Medicine Life Sciences & Biomedicine Medicine, General & Internal Science & Technology
IMPORTANCE Exposure to hydrocarbons, fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and other chemicals from the April 20, 2010, Deepwater Horizon disaster may be associated with increased blood pressure and newly detected hypertension among oil spill response and cleanup workers. OBJECTIVE To determine whether participation in cleanup activities following the disaster was associated with increased risk of developing hypertension. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cohort study was conducted via telephone interviews and in-person home exams. Participants were 6846 adults who had worked on the oil spill cleanup (workers) and 1505 others who had completed required safety training but did not do cleanup work (nonworkers). Eligible participants did not have diagnosed hypertension at the time of the oil spill. Statistical analyses were performed from June 2018 to December 2021. EXPOSURES Engagement in cleanup activities following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster, job classes, quintiles of cumulative total hydrocarbons exposure level, potential exposure to burning or flaring oil, and estimated PM2.5 were examined. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements were collected during home exams from 2011 to 2013 using automated oscillometric monitors. Newly detected hypertension was defined as antihypertensive medication use or elevated blood pressure since the spill. Log binomial regression was used to calculate prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% CIs for associations between cleanup exposures and hypertension. Multivariable linear regression was used to estimate exposure effects on continuous blood pressure levels. RESULTS Of 8351 participants included in this study, 6484 (77.6%) were male, 517 (6.2%) were Hispanic, 2859 (34.2%) were non-Hispanic Black, and 4418 (52.9%) were non-Hispanic White; the mean (SD) age was 41.9 (12.5) years at enrollment. Among workers, the prevalence of newly detected hypertension was elevated in all quintiles (Q) of cumulative total hydrocarbons above the first quintile (PR for Q3, 1.29 [95% CI, 1.13-1.46], PR for Q4, 1.25 [95% CI, 1.10-1.43], and PR for Q5, 1.31 [95% CI, 1.15-1.50]). Both exposure to burning and/or flaring oil and gas (PR, 1.16 [95% CI, 1.02-1.33]) and PM2.5 from burning (PR, 1.26 [95% CI, 0.89-1.71]) for the highest exposure category were associated with increased risk of newly detected hypertension, as were several types of oil spill work including cleanup on water (PR, 1.34 [95% CI, 1.08-1.66]) and response work (PR, 1.51 [95% CI, 1.20-1.90]). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Oil spill exposures were associated with newly detected hypertension after the Deepwater Horizon disaster. These findings suggest that blood pressure screening should be considered for workers with occupational hydrocarbon exposures.

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15 citations in Web of Science
10 citations in Scopus

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being

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Industry collaboration
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Web of Science research areas
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
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