From the origin of the leak, to the amount of oil released into the environment, to the spill's duration, the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill poses unique challenges to human health. The risks associated with extensive, prolonged use of dispersants, with oil fumes, and with particulate matter from controlled burns are also uncertain. There have been concerns about the extent to which hazards, such as physical and chemical exposures and social and economic disruptions, will impact the overall health of people who live and work near the area of the oil spill.

Although studies of previous oil spills provide some basis for identifying and mitigating the human health effects of these exposures, the existing data are insufficient to fully understand and predict the overall impact of hazards from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the health of workers, volunteers, residents, visitors, and special populations. Assessing the Effects of the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill on Human Health identifies populations at increased risks for adverse health effects and explores effective communication strategies to convey health information to these at-risk populations. The book also discusses the need for appropriate surveillance systems to monitor the spill's potential short- and long-term health effects on affected communities and individuals.

Assessing the Effects of the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill on Human Health is a useful resource that can help policy makers, public health officials, academics, community advocates, scientists, and members of the public collaborate to create a monitoring and surveillance system that results in "actionable" information and that identifies emerging health risks in specific populations.

Contents

• THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
• PLANNING COMMITTEE ON ASSESSING THE EFFECTS OF THE GULF OF MEXICO OIL SPILL ON HUMAN HEALTH: AN INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE WORKSHOP
• Reviewers
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Overview
• 1. Introduction
  • WORKSHOP BACKGROUND
  • THE COMPELLING NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF OIL SPILLS ON HUMAN HEALTH
• 2. At-Risk Populations and Routes of Exposure
  • POPULATIONS OF CONCERN: DIFFERENT EXPOSURES, DIFFERENT RISKS
  • OCCUPATIONAL RISKS AND HEALTH HAZARDS: WORKERS AND VOLUNTEERS
  • ASSESSING AND PREVENTING EXPOSURE ACROSS POPULATIONS
  • OF PEOPLE AND PELICANS: A LOCAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE GULF OF MEXICO OIL SPILL
  • QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE
• 3. Short- and Long-Term Effects on Human Health
  • POTENTIAL SHORT- AND LONG-TERM PHYSICAL EFFECTS
  • POTENTIAL SHORT- AND LONG-TERM PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS
  • QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE
• 4. Communicating with the Public
  • ENGAGING THE PUBLIC, PROTECTING THE HEALTH
  • COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVES
  • OPEN DIALOGUE WITH THE AUDIENCE
• 5. Overview of Health-Monitoring Activities: State and Federal Perspectives
  • STATE RESPONSES
  • PANEL DISCUSSION
  • FEDERAL RESPONSE
• 6. Data-Collection, Surveillance, and Research Methodologies
  • PUBLIC HEALTH SURVEILLANCE IN EMERGENCY RESPONSE SETTINGS: LESSONS LEARNED FROM 9/11 AND OTHER DISASTERS
  • AN OVERVIEW OF METHODOLOGIES AND DATA SOURCES FOR USE IN HEALTH SURVEILLANCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING ACTIVITIES
  • ASSESSING THE HEALTH EFFECTS OF THE GULF OIL SPILL: DATA SOURCES
  • MENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH AND SCREENING METHODOLOGIES
  • INFORMATION INFRASTRUCTURE FOR DETECTING AND MANAGING HEALTH EFFECTS OF THE OIL SPILL: LEARNING FROM THE PAST, PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE
  • REFLECTIONS ON SURVEILLANCE
  • QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE
• 7. Developing Effective Surveillance and Monitoring Systems: Future Directions and Resource Needs
  • SUGGESTED DIMENSIONS AND COMPONENTS OF A SURVEILLANCE FRAMEWORK
  • MAJOR OVERARCHING THEMES OF WORKSHOP DISCUSSIONS: PRINCIPLES OF A FRAMEWORK FOR SURVEILLANCE
• A References
• B Bibliography of Related National Academies Press Reports
• C Workshop Agenda
• D Public Questions and Comments
• E Speaker Biographies

Rapporteurs: Margaret A. McCoy and Judith A. Salerno.

This study was supported by Contract No. HHSOl00201000001E between the National Academy of Sciences and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the organizations or agencies that provided support for this project.

Suggested citation:

IOM (Institute of Medicine). 2010. Assessing the effects of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill on human health: A summary of the June 2010 workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.