Skin conditions associated with dermal exposure to oil spill chemicals among Deepwater Horizon disaster response and cleanup workers
Background: Previous studies have associated oil spill response and cleanup (OSRC) work with skin symptoms, but evidence is lacking on the specific exposure agents that contributed to these skin effects. Objectives: We investigated OSRC-related exposures, including dermal exposure to specific chemic...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-04-01
|
| Series: | Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325004129 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850266131949944832 |
|---|---|
| author | Dazhe Chen Kaitlyn G. Lawrence Patricia A. Stewart Melanie Gorman Ng Mark R. Stenzel John W. Cherrie Kate E. Christenbury W. Braxton Jackson II Lawrence S. Engel Dale P. Sandler |
| author_facet | Dazhe Chen Kaitlyn G. Lawrence Patricia A. Stewart Melanie Gorman Ng Mark R. Stenzel John W. Cherrie Kate E. Christenbury W. Braxton Jackson II Lawrence S. Engel Dale P. Sandler |
| author_sort | Dazhe Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Previous studies have associated oil spill response and cleanup (OSRC) work with skin symptoms, but evidence is lacking on the specific exposure agents that contributed to these skin effects. Objectives: We investigated OSRC-related exposures, including dermal exposure to specific chemical agents, in relation to acute and longer-term skin conditions among the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) OSRC workers. Methods: At GuLF Study enrollment, workers reported duration of work, jobs performed, and skin contact with crude oil/tar, dispersants, and decontamination chemicals. Cumulative dermal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from oil/tar was estimated based on the “GuLF DREAM model”. We used Poisson regression with robust standard errors to evaluate associations of exposures with prevalent skin conditions during spill cleanup and at enrollment (1–3 years later) and incident eczema diagnoses after the start of OSRC work. We examined modification of associations between exposures and prevalent conditions by use of rubber/synthetic gloves. Results: Duration of OSRC work was positively associated with skin conditions and eczema diagnoses (p-trend<0.01). Workers in operations, response, and decontamination jobs had higher skin condition prevalence (during cleanup: PR range=3.13–4.51; at enrollment: PR range=2.20–2.94) and eczema risk (RR range=1.44–1.89) compared to support workers. After adjusting for co-exposures, we saw associations of skin conditions during cleanup with dermal exposure to oil/tar (PR=3.41, 95 %CI: 3.14, 3.69), decontamination chemicals (PR=1.55, 95 %CI: 1.46, 1.64), dispersants (PR=1.44, 95 %CI: 1.33, 1.57), and PAHs (p-trend<0.01). These associations remained apparent at enrollment. Eczema diagnosis was associated with exposure to oil/tar (RR=1.56, 95 %CI: 1.20, 2.04) and PAHs (Tertile 3 vs. 1: PR=1.33, 95 %CI: 0.86, 2.07). Effect estimates were on average 21 % lower among workers who used rubber/synthetic gloves. Conclusions: Duration of work, working in non-support jobs, and dermal exposure to oil/tar, dispersants, decontamination chemicals, and PAHs were associated with acute and longer-term skin effects among the DWH OSRC workers. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a41ab0bd572844b188553dba86cb5fa5 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0147-6513 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety |
| spelling | doaj-art-a41ab0bd572844b188553dba86cb5fa52025-08-20T01:54:15ZengElsevierEcotoxicology and Environmental Safety0147-65132025-04-0129411807610.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118076Skin conditions associated with dermal exposure to oil spill chemicals among Deepwater Horizon disaster response and cleanup workersDazhe Chen0Kaitlyn G. Lawrence1Patricia A. Stewart2Melanie Gorman Ng3Mark R. Stenzel4John W. Cherrie5Kate E. Christenbury6W. Braxton Jackson II7Lawrence S. Engel8Dale P. Sandler9Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USAEpidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USAStewart Exposure Assessments, LLC, Arlington, VA, USACentre for Human Exposure Science, Institute of Occupational Medicine, Research Avenue North, Edinburgh, UK; School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, CanadaExposure Assessment Applications, LLC, Arlington, VA, USACentre for Human Exposure Science, Institute of Occupational Medicine, Research Avenue North, Edinburgh, UK; Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UKDLH, LLC, Bethesda, MD, USADLH, LLC, Bethesda, MD, USAEpidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USAEpidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA; Correspondence to: Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, P.O. Box 12233, Mail Drop A3-05, 111 T.W. Alexander Dr., Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2233, USA.Background: Previous studies have associated oil spill response and cleanup (OSRC) work with skin symptoms, but evidence is lacking on the specific exposure agents that contributed to these skin effects. Objectives: We investigated OSRC-related exposures, including dermal exposure to specific chemical agents, in relation to acute and longer-term skin conditions among the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) OSRC workers. Methods: At GuLF Study enrollment, workers reported duration of work, jobs performed, and skin contact with crude oil/tar, dispersants, and decontamination chemicals. Cumulative dermal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from oil/tar was estimated based on the “GuLF DREAM model”. We used Poisson regression with robust standard errors to evaluate associations of exposures with prevalent skin conditions during spill cleanup and at enrollment (1–3 years later) and incident eczema diagnoses after the start of OSRC work. We examined modification of associations between exposures and prevalent conditions by use of rubber/synthetic gloves. Results: Duration of OSRC work was positively associated with skin conditions and eczema diagnoses (p-trend<0.01). Workers in operations, response, and decontamination jobs had higher skin condition prevalence (during cleanup: PR range=3.13–4.51; at enrollment: PR range=2.20–2.94) and eczema risk (RR range=1.44–1.89) compared to support workers. After adjusting for co-exposures, we saw associations of skin conditions during cleanup with dermal exposure to oil/tar (PR=3.41, 95 %CI: 3.14, 3.69), decontamination chemicals (PR=1.55, 95 %CI: 1.46, 1.64), dispersants (PR=1.44, 95 %CI: 1.33, 1.57), and PAHs (p-trend<0.01). These associations remained apparent at enrollment. Eczema diagnosis was associated with exposure to oil/tar (RR=1.56, 95 %CI: 1.20, 2.04) and PAHs (Tertile 3 vs. 1: PR=1.33, 95 %CI: 0.86, 2.07). Effect estimates were on average 21 % lower among workers who used rubber/synthetic gloves. Conclusions: Duration of work, working in non-support jobs, and dermal exposure to oil/tar, dispersants, decontamination chemicals, and PAHs were associated with acute and longer-term skin effects among the DWH OSRC workers.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325004129Petroleum pollutionIrritantsPolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbonsDermatitisEczemaOil spill |
| spellingShingle | Dazhe Chen Kaitlyn G. Lawrence Patricia A. Stewart Melanie Gorman Ng Mark R. Stenzel John W. Cherrie Kate E. Christenbury W. Braxton Jackson II Lawrence S. Engel Dale P. Sandler Skin conditions associated with dermal exposure to oil spill chemicals among Deepwater Horizon disaster response and cleanup workers Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Petroleum pollution Irritants Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons Dermatitis Eczema Oil spill |
| title | Skin conditions associated with dermal exposure to oil spill chemicals among Deepwater Horizon disaster response and cleanup workers |
| title_full | Skin conditions associated with dermal exposure to oil spill chemicals among Deepwater Horizon disaster response and cleanup workers |
| title_fullStr | Skin conditions associated with dermal exposure to oil spill chemicals among Deepwater Horizon disaster response and cleanup workers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Skin conditions associated with dermal exposure to oil spill chemicals among Deepwater Horizon disaster response and cleanup workers |
| title_short | Skin conditions associated with dermal exposure to oil spill chemicals among Deepwater Horizon disaster response and cleanup workers |
| title_sort | skin conditions associated with dermal exposure to oil spill chemicals among deepwater horizon disaster response and cleanup workers |
| topic | Petroleum pollution Irritants Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons Dermatitis Eczema Oil spill |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325004129 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dazhechen skinconditionsassociatedwithdermalexposuretooilspillchemicalsamongdeepwaterhorizondisasterresponseandcleanupworkers AT kaitlynglawrence skinconditionsassociatedwithdermalexposuretooilspillchemicalsamongdeepwaterhorizondisasterresponseandcleanupworkers AT patriciaastewart skinconditionsassociatedwithdermalexposuretooilspillchemicalsamongdeepwaterhorizondisasterresponseandcleanupworkers AT melaniegormanng skinconditionsassociatedwithdermalexposuretooilspillchemicalsamongdeepwaterhorizondisasterresponseandcleanupworkers AT markrstenzel skinconditionsassociatedwithdermalexposuretooilspillchemicalsamongdeepwaterhorizondisasterresponseandcleanupworkers AT johnwcherrie skinconditionsassociatedwithdermalexposuretooilspillchemicalsamongdeepwaterhorizondisasterresponseandcleanupworkers AT kateechristenbury skinconditionsassociatedwithdermalexposuretooilspillchemicalsamongdeepwaterhorizondisasterresponseandcleanupworkers AT wbraxtonjacksonii skinconditionsassociatedwithdermalexposuretooilspillchemicalsamongdeepwaterhorizondisasterresponseandcleanupworkers AT lawrencesengel skinconditionsassociatedwithdermalexposuretooilspillchemicalsamongdeepwaterhorizondisasterresponseandcleanupworkers AT dalepsandler skinconditionsassociatedwithdermalexposuretooilspillchemicalsamongdeepwaterhorizondisasterresponseandcleanupworkers |