Oil Spills May Leave More Emotional Than Physical Scars, Study Finds - New York Times

NEW ORLEANS — In a review of past oil spills as well as the available data from last year’s BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico, doctors found that adverse health effects from oil and chemical exposure are less likely than behavioral and mental health issues to pose significant long-term risks for most gulf residents.

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However, they acknowledged the lingering uncertainty about the true impact of last year’s spill and said the federal government’s delay in studying the spill’s health effects would hinder the ability to understand them with accuracy. The review, published online Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine , considers the various risks posed by the spill, including contaminants from crude oil and dispersant, as well as how effects may differ depending on a person’s exposure during the spill. With several qualifications, mostly relating to a lack of available data, the authors found that the likelihood of serious long-term problems from components of the oil is low for residents and onshore cleanup workers.

Oil Spills May Leave More Emotional Than Physical Scars, Study Finds - New York Times