Dangers Of The Gulf Coast Oil Spill On Residents

I’m sure we will all remember the BP oil spill. It was definitely the environmental disaster of the decade. But let’s stop and think, could there be any more effects from this spill now? What about those who helped clean it up, are they dealing with any side effects as a repercussion? And the residents that live on the coast, or the fishermen that come in contact with fish and other wildlife that has been affected, how are they fairing?

Nine months after the Gulf oil spill and the effects of exposure in Gulf residents is starting to show up in people’s blood. The Institute for Southern Studies reports that the Louisiana Environmental Action Network (LEAN) has collected blood samples from 12 people between the ages of 10 and 66, finding that four of them had unusually high levels of benzene.

Among the individuals tested were cleanup workers, crabbers and people living along the coast. Among those with elevated benzene levels were three adults and one ten year old child, all were crabbers. The 10 year old is now suffering severe respiratory problems as a result of chemical exposure. Wilma Subra of LEAN compared the benzene levels in the Gulf residents to some of the highest levels found in the general population. That comparison shows cause for concern, as the benzene levels in the blood of four Gulf residents ranged between 11.9 and 35.8 times higher than the NHANES scale. Benzene is known to cause a host of health problems including anemia, irregular menstrual periods, ovarian shrinkage and leukemia.

The lack of real-time data has led some to speculate that even if there is a widespread health impact, it will be months or years before anyone knows or does anything to help; prompting comparisons to the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska and the sluggish response to worker health issues following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

“A lot of people feel that they are sick from symptoms that started around the time of the oil spill and haven’t been resolved,” said Gina Solomon of the Natural Resources Defense Council. “They don’t have a place to go to report their symptoms, get them assessed and catalogued to feel that their illnesses are being tracked in any way.”

A year after the spill, there is still no government-sponsored registry of illnesses on the Gulf Coast. Immediately after the accident, the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals was tracking symptoms, but that effort ended last September.

The Bucket Brigade survey of 954 Gulf Coast residents from July to October of last year found that nearly half reported an increase in symptoms like coughing, skin and eye irritation as well as headaches. Approximately the same percentage of people also said they believe they were exposed to oil or chemical dispersants. The residents also reported a sudden onset of the symptoms directly after the spill. They feel that there is no coincidence, it is from the oil spill, and something should be done.