Health Topics
Official websites use .gov
A
.gov website belongs to an official government
organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A
lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to
the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official,
secure websites.
Summary
Oil spills often happen because of accidents, when people make mistakes or equipment breaks down. Other causes include natural disasters or deliberate acts. Oil spills have major environmental and economic effects.
Oil spills can also affect human health. These effects can depend on what kind of oil was spilled and where (on land, in a river, or in the ocean). Other factors include what kind of exposure and how much exposure there was. People who clean up the spill are more at risk. Problems could include skin and eye irritation, neurologic and breathing problems, and stress. Not much is known about the long-term effects of oil spills.
Learn More
- Federal Emergency Management Agency Also in Spanish
-
GuLFSTUDY (Gulf Long-term Follow-up Study)
(National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)
- Oil Spills (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
- Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH): ToxFAQs (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Instruments for assessing the impacts of oil spills: an integrated approach...
- Article: Risk of longer-term endocrine and metabolic conditions in the Deepwater Horizon...
- Article: Skin conditions associated with dermal exposure to oil spill chemicals among...
- Oil Spills -- see more articles
The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.