Abstract
BackgroundThis paper examines the association between use of protective devices, frequency of acute health problems and health-protection information received by participants engaged in the Prestige oil spill clean-up in Asturias and Cantabria, Spain.MethodsWe studied 133 seamen, 135 bird cleaners, 266 volunteers and 265 paid workers selected by random sampling, stratified by type of worker and number of working days. Information was collected by telephone interview conducted in June 2003. The association of interest was summarized, using odds ratios (OR) obtained from logistic regression.ResultsHealth-protection briefing was associated with use of protective devices and clothing. Uninformed subjects registered a significant excess risk of itchy eyes (OR:2.89; 95%CI:1.21–6.90), nausea/vomiting/dizziness (OR:2.25; 95%CI:1.17–4.32) and throat and respiratory problems (OR:2.30; 95%CI:1.15–4.61). There was a noteworthy significant excess risk of headaches (OR:3.86: 95%CI:1.74–8.54) and respiratory problems (OR:2.43; 95%CI:1.02–5.79) among uninformed paid workers. Seamen, the group most exposed to the fuel-oil, were the worst informed and registered the highest frequency of toxicological problems.ConclusionProper health-protection briefing was associated with greater use of protective devices and lower frequency of health problems. Among seamen, however, the results indicate poorer dissemination of information and the need of specific guidelines for removing fuel-oil at sea.
Highlights
This paper examines the association between use of protective devices, frequency of acute health problems and health-protection information received by participants engaged in the Prestige oil spill clean-up in Asturias and Cantabria, Spain
The study population comprised persons who participated in the clean-up of the pollution caused by the Prestige and were registered in the censuses taken by Public Health Authorities of Asturias and Cantabria
100 persons were to be included in each group and area, but, given the absence of seamen in the Asturian worker census and the lack of bird cleaners in Cantabria, it was decided that the sample size of each group would be increased to 133 in order to maintain the total sample at 400 workers per geographic area
Summary
This paper examines the association between use of protective devices, frequency of acute health problems and health-protection information received by participants engaged in the Prestige oil spill clean-up in Asturias and Cantabria, Spain. The heavy fuel (listed as M100, No 6 or No 2 according to the Russian, Anglo-Saxon and French classifications respectively) [3,4] discharged by the Prestige contains three groups of substances potentially hazardous to health, i.e., volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals, zinc, nickel and vanadium. It has a density of 992.1 kg/m3 at 15°C (11.04° API), a viscosity of 615 centiStockes at 50°C and a low tendency to evaporate and disperse naturally [3]
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