Abstract
The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill is the only declared Spill of National Significance in US history, and it significantly impacted the health of people and communities in the Gulf of Mexico region. These impacts amplified adverse effects of prior disasters and may compound those of future traumas. Studies, both to date and ongoing, show some negative mental and physical health outcomes associated with DWH in some spill workers, as well as some coastal residents in all Gulf States. The spill was also associated with negative effects in the living resources, tourism, and recreation sectors, at least in the short term. Compared with others, people dependent on these sectors reported more health and financial concerns. Consumer concerns about the safety and marketability of seafood persisted well after data demonstrated very low risk. Parents were concerned about possible exposures of children as they played on beaches, but this risk was found to be minor. Spill-related stress was an overarching factor associated with adverse health outcomes, and some residents reported greater stress from navigating the legal and claims processes following the spill than from the spill itself. Research revealed a serious lack of baseline health, environmental, and socioeconomic data against which to compare spill effects. This finding highlighted the need for ongoing observing systems to monitor health and socioeconomic parameters and establish continuous baselines of such information.
Highlights
The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill was the largest ever in United States (National Commission, 2011) and the only Spill of National Significance
Large oil spills can adversely impact the health of responders, cleanup workers, and residents, and the public welfare of affected communities (Walker et al, in press; Figure 1)
We describe potential, perceived, and actual impacts, beginning with the people expected to be most exposed to toxic substances— the response and cleanup workers—followed by effects on those who resided in spill-affected areas, possible hazards to children at play on beaches, seafood contamination risks, and socioeconomic effects on the Gulf ’s iconic fisheries and tourism industries and communities
Summary
The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill was the largest ever in United States (National Commission, 2011) and the only Spill of National Significance. We describe potential, perceived, and actual impacts, beginning with the people expected to be most exposed to toxic substances— the response and cleanup workers—followed by effects on those who resided in spill-affected areas, possible hazards to children at play on beaches, seafood contamination risks, and socioeconomic effects on the Gulf ’s iconic fisheries and tourism industries and communities.
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