Acute gastrointestinal symptoms associated with oil spill exposures among U.S. coast guard responders to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

PURPOSE: Research investigating gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms from oil spill-related exposures is sparse. We evaluated prevalent GI symptoms among U.S. Coast Guard responders deployed to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill cleanup.

METHODS

Crude oil (via skin contact, inhalation, or ingestion routes), combined crude oil/oil dispersant exposures, other deployment exposures, deployment characteristics, demographics, and acute GI symptoms during deployment (i.e., nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and constipation) were ascertained cross-sectionally via a post-deployment survey (median time between deployment end and survey completion 185 days) (N = 4885). Log-binomial regression analyses were employed to calculate prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI). Effect modification was evaluated.

RESULTS

In adjusted models, responders in the highest (versus lowest) tertile of self-reported degree of skin contact to crude oil were more than twice as likely to report nausea/vomiting (PR=2.45; 95 %CI, 1.85-3.23), diarrhea (PR=2.40; 95 %CI, 2.00-2.88), stomach pain (PR=2.51; 95 %CI, 2.01-3.12), and constipation (PR=2.21; 95 %CI, 1.70-2.89). Tests for trend were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Results were similar for crude oil exposure via inhalation and ingestion. Higher PRs for all symptoms were found with combined crude oil/dispersant exposure than with crude oil exposure alone.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate positive associations between self-reported crude oil and combined crude oil/oil dispersant exposures and acute GI symptoms.