As Oil Spill Grows, So Does Need For Data On Health Effects

[jpak]

http://www.physorg.com/news196769297.html

Since the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded on April 20, spewing untold millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, cleanup crews have been working feverishly to mop up oil at sea and prevent the slick from reaching Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida shores. It’s hot, dirty, heroic work, but toxicologists and health professionals say it’s not the only work that needs to be done.

This week, dozens of experts in public health and environmental medicine gathered in New Orleans at a symposium hosted by the Institute of Medicine to discuss how to mitigate the human health effects from the Gulf oil spill. As the clean-up effort stretches from weeks into months with no end in sight, experts at the conference warned that little is known about how long-term exposure to oil and fumes can affect human health.

“The current scientific literature is inconclusive with regards to the potential hazards resulting from this spill,” said U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin during her opening remarks at the conference. “Some scientists predict little or no toxic effects while others express serious concerns about the potential for short and long-term health impacts,” she said.

This conflict reflects in part a historical lack of public health studies and monitoring after oil spills. In the past 50 years, 38 supertanker accidents have unleashed hundreds of millions of barrels of oil into the world’s oceans.

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