Gulf Long-Term Follow-Up Study

Background:

• There has been little research on the long-term health effects from oil spills, even though at least 10 percent of all oil tanker spills between 1970 and 2009 have affected coastal populations. The Deepwater Horizon disaster, with its release of approximately 5 million barrels (~680,000 tons) of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, is far larger than any of the individual tanker spills. Given the magnitude of this spill and the scope of the potential exposures, including the 55,000 workers involved in clean-up efforts and countless residents of the affected areas, researchers are interested in monitoring Gulf clean-up workers to understand the adverse consequences of oil spills in general.
• The Gulf Long-term Follow-up Study will investigate health effects associated with the clean-up activities following the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010. More than 100,000 persons completed safety training in preparation for participation in clean-up activities related to the spill. Many of these individuals participated in active clean-up efforts, but others did not. Exposures among persons involved in clean-up range from negligible to potentially significant, especially for workers involved in tasks associated with direct exposure to crude or burning oil, or to chemical dispersants. However, prediction of adverse health effects is not possible because the long-term human health consequences of oil spills are largely unknown. In addition to the oil itself, the widespread economic and lifestyle disruption caused by the oil spill may contribute to mental health problems among this population.

Objectives:

- To investigate potential short- and long-term health effects associated with clean-up activities and exposures surrounding the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Eligibility:

- English-, Spanish-, and Vietnamese-speaking workers and volunteers at least 21 years of age engaged or potentially engaged in oil spill clean-up operations in the Gulf of Mexico, or who lived in affected areas (Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida coastal regions).

Design:

• Participants will be divided into groups of those who performed oil-spill clean-up-related work ( exposed ) and those who did not engage in clean-up-related work ( unexposed controls).
• Participants will be screened with a full medical history and physical examination, as well as an interview to determine the nature of their potential exposure.
• Participants will provide blood, hair, toenail, urine, and saliva (spit) samples. Participants may also have a lung function exam.
• Participants will have researchers collect dust from their homes by using wipes and special vacuum bags.
• Participants will also provide detailed contact information, including their Social Security number, to be contacted in the future for long-term health follow-up appointments. These appointments will include 30-minute telephone interviews every 2 years.