Acute health effects of the Sea Empress oil spill

• Published in: Journal of epidemiology and community health (1979) Vol. 53; no. 5; pp. 306 - 310
• Main Authors: Lyons, R A, Temple, J M, Evans, D, Fone, D L, Palmer, S R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 01.05.1999; British Medical Association; BMJ; BMJ Publishing Group LTD; BMJ Group
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Air. Soil. Water. Waste. Feeding; Anxiety; At risk population; Attitude; Bias; Biological and medical sciences; Chemical hazards; Cohort Studies; Crude oil; Depressive disorders; Disasters; Empresses; Environment. Living conditions; Environmental Pollutants - adverse effects; Female; Headache; Health benefits; Health Surveys; Humans; Logistic Models; Male; Medical sciences; Mental depression; Mental health; Middle Aged; Oil spills; Petroleum - adverse effects; Pharyngitis; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Retrospective Studies; Surveys and Questionnaires; Towns; Wales; United Kingdom; Great Britain; Europe; Wales; Oil spill; Human; Health; Toxicity; Exposure; Epidemiology; Sea; Morbidity; Health and environment; Risk factor; Public health; Boat; Psychological well being
• ISSN: 0143-005X; 1470-2738
• DOI: 10.1136/jech.53.5.306

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether residents in the vicinity of the Sea Empress tanker spill suffered an increase in self reported physical and psychological symptoms, which might be attributable to exposure to crude oil. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study; postal questionnaire including demographic details, a symptom checklist, beliefs about health effects of oil and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression and SF-36 mental health scales. SETTING: Populations living in four coastal towns on the exposed south Pembrokeshire coast and two control towns on the unexposed north coast. PATIENTS: 539 exposed and 550 unexposed people sampled at random from the family health services authority age-sex register who completed questionnaires. MAIN RESULTS: Adjusted odds ratios for self reported physical symptoms; scores on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression and SF-36 mental health scales, in 1089 people who responded out of a possible 1585 (69%). CONCLUSIONS: Living in areas exposed to the crude oil spillage was significantly associated with higher anxiety and depression scores, worse mental health; and self reported headache (odds ratio = 2.35, 95% CI 1.56, 3.55), sore eyes (odds ratio = 1.96, 95% CI 1.06, 3.62), and sore throat (odds ratio = 1.70, 95% CI 1.12, 2.60) after adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, anxiety, and the belief that oil had affected health. People living in exposed areas reported higher rates of physical and psychological symptoms than control areas. Symptoms significantly associated with exposure after adjustment for anxiety and health beliefs were those expected from the known toxicological effect of oil, suggesting a direct health effect on the exposed population.