Logo image
Back
Exposure to volatile hydrocarbons and neurologic function among oil spill workers up to 6 years after the Deepwater Horizon disaster
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Exposure to volatile hydrocarbons and neurologic function among oil spill workers up to 6 years after the Deepwater Horizon disaster

Dazhe Chen, Emily J Werder, Patricia A Stewart, Mark R Stenzel, Fredric E Gerr, Kaitlyn G Lawrence, Caroline P Groth, Tran B Huynh, Gurumurthy Ramachandran, Sudipto Banerjee, …
Environmental research, 116069
04 May 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2023.116069
PMID: 37149022
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
url
ttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2023.116069View
Published, Version of Record (VoR)CC BY-NC-ND V4.0,  Open
url
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2023.116069View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open

Abstract

Oil spill Peripheral nervous system Volatile organic compounds Crude oil Hydrocarbons Neurologic function
During the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) disaster, oil spill response and cleanup (OSRC) workers were exposed to toxic volatile components of crude oil. Few studies have examined exposure to individual volatile hydrocarbon chemicals below occupational exposure limits in relation to neurologic function among OSRC workers. To investigate the association of several spill-related chemicals (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, n-hexane, i.e., BTEX-H) and total petroleum hydrocarbons (THC) with neurologic function among DWH spill workers enrolled in the Gulf Long-term Follow-up Study. Cumulative exposure to THC and BTEX-H across the oil spill cleanup period were estimated using a job-exposure matrix that linked air measurement data to detailed self-reported DWH OSRC work histories. We ascertained quantitative neurologic function data via a comprehensive test battery at a clinical examination that occurred 4-6 years after the DWH disaster. We used multivariable linear regression and modified Poisson regression to evaluate relationships of exposures (quartiles (Q)) with 4 neurologic function measures. We examined modification of the associations by age at enrollment (<50 vs. ≥50 years). We did not find evidence of adverse neurologic effects from crude oil exposures among the overall study population. However, among workers ≥50 years of age, several individual chemical exposures were associated with poorer vibrotactile acuity of the great toe, with statistically significant effects observed in Q3 or Q4 of exposures (range of log mean difference in Q4 across exposures: 0.13-0.26 μm). We also observed suggestive adverse associations among those ≥ age 50 years for tests of postural stability and single-leg stance, although most effect estimates did not reach thresholds of statistical significance (p < 0.05). Higher exposures to volatile components of crude oil were associated with modest deficits in neurologic function among OSRC workers who were age 50 years or older at study enrollment.

Metrics

13 Record Views
17 citations in Web of Science
9 citations in Scopus

Details

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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

#3 Good Health and Well-Being

InCites Highlights

Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:

Collaboration types
Industry collaboration
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Environmental Sciences
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Logo image