Browse > Article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.2008.41.5.345

A Literature Review on Health Effects of Exposure to Oil Spill  

Ha, Mi-Na (Department of Preventive Medicine, Dankook University College of Medicine)
Lee, Won-Jin (Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University)
Lee, Seung-Min (Citizen's Institute of Environmental Studies, Korean Federation for Environmental Movement)
Cheong, Hae-Kwan (Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine)
Publication Information
Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health / v.41, no.5, 2008 , pp. 345-354 More about this Journal
Abstract
Objectives : Our objective is to review and summarize the previous studies on the health effects of exposure to oil spills in order to make suggestions for mid- and long-term study plans regarding the health effects of the Hebei Spirit oil spill occured in Korea. Methods : We searched PubMed to systemically retrieve reports on the human health effects related to oil spill accidents. The papers' reference lists and reviews on the topic were searched as well. Results : We found 24 articles that examined seven oil spill accidents worldwide over the period from 1989 to August 2008, including the Exxon Valdes, Braer, Sea Empress, Erika, Nakhodka, Prestige and Tasman Spirit oil spills. Most of the studies applied cross-sectional and short-term follow-up study designs. The exposure level was measured by assessing the place of residence, using a questionnaire and environmental and personal monitoring. Studies on the acute or immediate health effects mainly focused on the subjective physical symptoms related to clean-up work or residential exposure. Late or mid-term follow-up studies were performed to investigate a range of health effects such as pulmonary function and endocrine, immunologic and genetic toxicity. The economic and social impact of the accidents resulted in the socio-psychological exposure and the psychosocial health effects. Conclusions : Studies of the health effects of exposure to oil spills should consider a range of health outcomes, including the physical and psychological effects, and the studies should be extended for a considerable period of time to study the long-term chronic health effects.
Keywords
Accidents; Transportation; Petroleum; Health; Review;
Citations & Related Records

Times Cited By SCOPUS : 7
연도 인용수 순위
1 Palinkas LA, Petterson JS, Russell JC, Downs MA. Ethnic differences in symptoms of posttraumatic stress after the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Prehosp Disaster Med 2004; 19(1): 102-112
2 Cole J, Beare DM, Waugh AP, Capulas E, Aldridge KE, Arlett CF, et al. Biomonitoring of possible human exposure to environmental genotoxic chemicals: Lessons from a study following the wreck of the oil tanker Braer. Environ Mol Mutagen 1997; 30(2): 97-111   DOI   ScienceOn
3 Schvoerer C, Gourier-Frery C, Ledrans M, Germonneau P, Derrien J. Prat M, et al. Etude Epidemologique Des Troubles De Sante Survenus a Court Terme Chez Les Personnes Ayant Participle Au Nettoyage des Sites Pollues Par Le Fioul Del'Eriks. 2000. Saint- Maurice Cedex: Institut De Veille Sanitaire; 2000 [cited 2008 July 4] Available from: URL:http://www.invs. sante.fr/publications/ erika3/rapmaree_dist.pdf. (French)
4 Carrasco JM, Lope V, Perez-Gomez B, Aragones N, Suarez B, Lopez-Abente G, et al. Association between health information, use of protective devices and occurrence of acute health problems in the Prestige oil spill clean-up in Asturias and Cantabria (Spain): A crosssectional study. BMC Public Health 2006; 6: 1   DOI   ScienceOn
5 Perez-Cadahia B, Laffon B, Valdiglesias V, Pasaro E, Mendez J. Cytogenetic effects induced by Prestige oil on human populations: The role of polymorphisms in genes involved in metabolism and DNA repair. Mutat Res 2008; 653(1-2): 117-123   DOI   PUBMED   ScienceOn
6 Meo SA, Al-Drees AM, Meo IM, Al-Saadi MM, Azeem MA. Lung function in subjects exposed to crude oil spill into sea water. Mar Pollut Bull 2008; 56(1): 88-94   DOI   ScienceOn
7 Dor F, Bonnard R, Gourier-Frery C, Cicolella A, Dujardin R, Zmirou D. Health risk assessment after decontamination of the beaches polluted by the wrecked ERIKA tanker. Risk Anal 2003; 23(6): 1199-1208   DOI   ScienceOn
8 Taean Coast Guard. Data of Hebei Spirit oil spill. (Report to data request 2008-013. 7-7- 2008). Taean: Department of Coast Protection, Taean coast Guard; 2008. (Korean)
9 Perez-Cadahia B, Lafuente A, Cabaleiro T, Pasaro E, Mendez J, Laffon B. Initial study on the effects of Prestige oil on human health. Environ Int 2007; 33(2): 176-185   DOI   ScienceOn
10 Palinkas LA, Petterson JS, Russell J, Downs MA. Community patterns of psychiatric disorders after the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Am J Psychiatr 1993; 150(10): 1517-1523   DOI
11 Perez-Cadahia B, Laffon B, Porta M, Lafuente A, Cabaleiro T, Lopez T, et al. Relationship between blood concentrations of heavy metals and cytogenetic and endocrine parameters among subjects involved in cleaning coastal areas affected by thec 'Prestige' oil spill. Chemosphere 2008; 71(3): 447-455   DOI   ScienceOn
12 Laffon B, Fraga-Iriso R, Perez-Cadahia B, Mendez J. Genotoxicity associated to exposure to Prestige oil during autopsies and cleaning of oil-contaminated birds. Food Chem Toxicol 2006; 44(10): 1714-1723   DOI   ScienceOn
13 Crum JE. Peak expiratory flow rate in schoolchildren living close to Braer oil spill. BMJ 1993; 307(6895): 23-24   DOI   PUBMED   ScienceOn
14 Carrasco JM, Perez-Gomez B, Garcia- Mendizabal MJ, Lope V, Aragones N, Forjaz MJ, et al. Health-related quality of life and mental health in the medium-term aftermath of the Prestige oil spill in Galiza (Spain): A crosssectional study. BMC Public Health 2007; 7(147): 245   DOI   PUBMED
15 The International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Limited. Statistics in information service 2008. [cited 2008 July 4] Available from: URL http://www.itopf.com/informationservices/ data-and-statistics/statistics/#no
16 Korea Coast Guard. Haeyang Gyeongchalcheong Baekseo 2007. Incheon: Korea Coast Guard; 2008. (Korean)
17 Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fishery. Haeyang Susan Baekseo. Seoul: Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fishery; 1997. (Korean)
18 Rodriguez-Trigo G, Zock JP, Isidro Montes I. Health effects of exposure to oil spills. Arch Bronconeumol 2007; 43(11): 628-635. (Spanish)   PUBMED
19 Foster K, Campbell D, Crum J, Stove M. Nonresponse in a population study after an environmental disaster. Public Health 1995; 109(4): 267-273   DOI   ScienceOn
20 Baars BJ. The wreckage of the oil tanker 'Erika'--human health risk assessment of beach cleaning, sunbathing and swimming. Toxicol Lett 2002; 128(1-3): 55-68   DOI   PUBMED   ScienceOn
21 Suarez B, Lope V, Perez-Gomez B, Aragones N, Rodriguez-Artalejo F, Marques F, et al. Acute health problems among subjects involved in the cleanup operation following the Prestige oil spill in Asturias and Cantabria (Spain). Environ Res 2005; 99(3): 413-424   DOI   ScienceOn
22 Gorman RW, Berardinelli SP, Bender TR. Exxon/Valdez Alaska oil spill. HETA 89-200 and 89-273-2111. Cincinnati: Hazard Evaluation and Technical Assistance Branch, NIOSH, US Department of Health and Human Services; 1991. [cited 2008 July 4] Available from: URL:http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs /1989-0200-2111.pdf
23 Palinkas LA, Russell J, Downs MA, Petterson JS. Ethnic differences in stress, coping, and depressive symptoms after the Exxon Valdez oil spill. J Nerv Ment Dis 1992; 180(5): 287-295   DOI   PUBMED
24 Lyons RA, Temple JM, Evans D, Fone DL, Palmer SR. Acute health effects of the Sea Empress oil spill. J Epidemiol Community Health 1999; 53(5): 306-310   DOI   ScienceOn
25 Gallacher J, Bronstering K, Palmer S, Fone D, Lyons R. Symptomatology attributable to psychological exposure to a chemical incident: A natural experiment. J Epidemiol Community Health 2007; 61(6): 506-512   DOI   ScienceOn
26 County chief of Taean. Taean Tonggye Yeongam, No.18. Taean: Planning and Inspection Office of Taean county; 2008. [cited 2008 July 4] Available from: URL http:// law.taean.go.kr/asp/tong/tong_file/2007/02.pdf. (Korean)
27 Campbell D, Cox D, Crum J, Foster K, Riley A. Later effects of grounding of tanker Braer on health in Shetland. BMJ 1994; 309(6957): 773-774   DOI   PUBMED   ScienceOn
28 The United Conference of Health Effect Investigation for Hebei Spirit Oil Spill. Interim Report of Acute Health Effect Investigation. Seoul: Department of Environmental Health Policy. Ministry of Environment; 2008. (Korean)
29 Janjua NZ, Kasi PM, Nawaz H, Farooqui SZ, Khuwaja UB, Najamul-Hassan, et al. Acute health effects of the Tasman Spirit oil spill on residents of Karachi, Pakistan. BMC Public Health 2006; 6: 84   DOI   ScienceOn
30 Morita A, Kusaka Y, Deguchi Y, Moriuchi A, Nakanaga Y, Iki M, et al. Acute health problems among the people engaged in the cleanup of the Nakhodka oil spill. Environ Res 1999; 81(3): 185-194   DOI   ScienceOn
31 Zock JP, Rodriguez-Trigo G, Pozo-Rodriguez F, Barbera JA, Bouso L, Torralba Y, et al. Prolonged respiratory symptoms in clean-up workers of the prestige oil spill. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2007; 176(6): 610-616
32 Khurshid R, Sheikh MA, Iqbal S. Health of people working/living in the vicinity of an oilpolluted beach near Karachi, Pakistan. East Mediterr Health J 2008 ; 14(1): 179-182   PUBMED
33 Campbell D, Cox D, Crum J, Foster K, Christie P, Brewster D. Initial effects of the grounding of the tanker Braer on health in Shetland. The shetland health study group. BMJ 1993; 307 (6914): 1251-1255   DOI   PUBMED