Introduction
It is essential to recognize that major oil spills pose a wide range of health hazards and effects, which can impact adjacent populations both directly and indirectly. The release of oil into the seas or oceans in large volumes pollutes the environment, water, and organisms. The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill was the largest accident of this type caused by the incompetence and negligence of the British Petroleum (BP) company. The direct health effects include pulmonary issues due to air pollution, heavy metal toxicity, and immunological effects, whereas the indirect ones involve food safety and mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression.
Analysis
The Deepwater Horizon disaster was a major catastrophe resulting from mistakes made by the company. On April 20, 2010, there was an explosion at the BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig, which resulted in the release of over 130 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico (Meiners, 2020). This oil spill was the largest in U.S. history and continues to have environmental consequences many years later (Mufson, 2018). Firstly, when it comes to the direct health effects of the DWH, air pollution is a significant factor.
Evidence suggests that “key air pollutants associated with the DWH oil spill include hydrocarbons, particulate matter (PM), or aerosol particles, ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides sourced from crude oil, in situ burning” (Lichtveld et al., 2016, p. 371). In other words, a range of air pollutants was released as a result of the accident. In addition, chemical oil dispersants, such as COREXIT 9500A and COREXIT 9527A, were utilized in response to the spill, which further exacerbated the air pollution problem (Lichtveld et al., 2016). Therefore, the transmission of such chemicals through the air contributes to health risks.
Among the direct health effects, immunological and pulmonary issues are notable. It is stated that “animal studies have examined effects of dispersant exposure on pulmonary and immunologic endpoints” (Lichtveld et al., 2016, p. 372). Despite the limited data and lack of longitudinal studies, there were effects of the dispersants combined with other air pollutants.
Heavy metal toxicity is another serious and direct health effect of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Exposure is the greatest when it comes to children, which creates an additional psychosocial stressor element (Lichtveld et al., 2016). Thus, the increased exposure to chemicals means that the adjacent population can be impacted by pulmonary, immunological, and other health issues, as well as heavy metal intoxication.
Secondly, in the case of indirect health effects, there are mental health and food safety concerns. For the latter, it is worth noting that seafood derived from marine life at the location impacted and polluted by the spill can be hazardous, raising concerns about food safety. This can lead to nutritional deficiencies and food poisoning as potential indirect health effects. In addition, the spill impacted the local community by exacerbating their trauma and worsening mental health, as indicated by poorer anxiety and depression scores (Lichtveld et al., 2016). Therefore, both mental health issues and food safety can be considered indirect health effects.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the direct health consequences of the DWH involve problems with the lungs, the immune system, other physical ailments, and potential heavy metal poisoning. In contrast, the indirect health effects manifest as mental health issues and worries regarding food safety. A public health nurse could play a vital role in this disaster by identifying potential health hazards beforehand to prevent their effects. Such a professional could additionally advocate for safer methods of cleaning the spill or communicating the toxicity profile of the dispersants to local healthcare organizations.
References
Lichtveld, M., Sherchan, S., Gam, K.B., Kwork, R., Munddorf, C., Shankar, A., & Soars, L. (2016). The Deepwater Horizon oil spill through the lens of human health and the ecosystem. Current Environmental Health Reports, 3(4), 370-378.
Meiners, J. (2020). Ten years later, BP oil spill continues to harm wildlife – especially dolphins. National Geographic.
Mufson, S. (2018). After the Deepwater Horizon disaster, a new BP emerges. Anchorage Daily News.