No abstract available.
Korea* ; Petroleum Pollution*

BACKGROUND: There were debates on the relationship between peak expiratory flow (PEF) and oil spill cleanup activity. The aim of this study was to compare the distinction of PEF among pre-works and post-works in Hebei Spirit oil. METHODS: The study subjects were participators of cleanup works. The questionaire on symptoms was done. And PEF was measured. The subjects were sampled on random basis. We then used a logistic regression analysis to evaluate the effects of cleanup works on PEF. RESULTS: Only 66 (35.3%) participants versus 121 showed with low values in PEF before cleanup works. But, 78 (80.1%) participants versus 20 significantly showed with low values in PEF after cleanup works (P = 0.002). On our analysis, measuring their own PEF after cleanup works (Odds ratio [OR], 2.328; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.218 to 6.624), female gender (OR, 5.841; 95% CI, 3.571 to 9.557), the number of working days on cleanup activities (OR, 2.760; 95% CI, 1.364 to 7.900), and residents (OR, 4.610; 95% CI, 2.488 to 8.544) were shown to be significant risk factors for low value of peak expiratory flow. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that exposure to petroleum in cleanup works are associated with a significant low value in PEF. But, the heterogeneity of pre-works and post-works groups is a limitation of the study.
Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Peak Expiratory Flow Rate ; Petroleum ; Petroleum Pollution ; Population Characteristics ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study was to estimate the mental health problems and other related factors in residents that experienced the Samsung-Hebei spirits oil spill by surveying PTSD symptoms. METHOD: Trained interviewers performed direct interviews of the residents approximately 70 days after the oil spill. We investigated PTSD symptoms through PTSD Symptom Scale Interview Version (PSS-I). To determine those factors related to PTSD symptoms, the following factors were determined as part of the survey: gender, age, occupation, duration of cleanup activity, monthly income and amount of debt. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze all factors. RESULTS: Of the 318 residents investigated, 56.6% of the subjects had PTSD symptoms related to the spirits oil spill (about 70 days post spill). With regard to occupation, those subjects answering fishery (POR:3.05) and commerce (POR:4.24) as their occupations experienced higher PTSD symptoms than residents answering farming as their occupation. Residents who answered that they had debt over 10 million KRW (POR:2.61) were more vulnerable to PTSD symptoms compared to residents without debt; residents with acute physical symptoms were vulnerable (POR:5.11) to PTSD symptom compared to residents without acute physical symptoms. The results of multiple logistic analysis, including the cleanup activity, age, gender, occupation, acute physical symptoms and amount of debt in the model suggest that only cleanup activity increased PTSD symptoms. The subjects who had engaged in cleanup activities for longer periods of time had more PTSD symptoms and an additional dose-response relationship. CONCLUSION: Many residents in Samsung-Hebei spirits oil spill area had PTSD symptoms. This suggests that there were serious mental health problems among the residents, who might require specific social supports and psychiatric interventions as a result of the oil spill.
Commerce ; Environmental Remediation ; Fisheries ; Logistic Models ; Mental Health ; Occupations ; Petroleum ; Petroleum Pollution ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

Petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants are difficult to be degraded, and bioremediation has received increasing attention for remediating the hydrocarbon polluted area. This review started by introducing the interphase adaptation and transport process of hydrocarbon by microbes. Subsequently, the advances made in the identification of hydrocarbon-degrading strains and genes as well as elucidation of metabolic pathways and underpinning mechanisms in the biodegradation of typical petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants were summarized. The capability of wild-type hydrocarbon degrading bacteria can be enhanced through genetic engineering and metabolic engineering. With the rapid development of synthetic biology, the bioremediation of hydrocarbon polluted area can be further improved by engineering the metabolic pathways of hydrocarbon-degrading microbes, or through design and construction of synthetic microbial consortia.
Bacteria/genetics* ; Biodegradation, Environmental ; Hydrocarbons ; Petroleum ; Petroleum Pollution/analysis* ; Soil Microbiology ; Soil Pollutants

OBJECTIVES: The goal was to model and quantify the atmospheric concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as the result of the Hebei Spirit oil spill, and to predict whether the exposure levels were abnormally high or not. METHODS: We developed a model for calculating the airborne concentration of VOCs that are produced in an oil spill accident. The model was applied to a practical situation, namely the Hebei Spirit oil spill. The accuracy of the model was verified by comparing the results with previous observation data. The concentrations were compared with the currently used air quality standards. RESULTS: Evaporation was found to be 10- to 1,000-fold higher than the emissions produced from a surrounding industrial complex. The modeled concentrations for benzene failed to meet current labor environmental standards, and the concentration of benzene, toluene, ortho- meta- para-xylene were higher than the values specified by air quality standards and guideline values on the ocean. The concentrations of total VOCs were much higher than indoor environmental criteria for the entire Taean area for a few days. CONCLUSIONS: The extent of airborne exposure was clearly not the same as that for normal conditions.
Benzene ; Humans ; Petroleum Pollution ; Toluene ; Volatile Organic Compounds ; Volatilization ; Xylenes

Objective To conduct bibliometric analysis of the relevant literature in the environmental field published from 1982 to 2018 collected by the Web of Science citation database and further explore the frontier research dynamics and hotspots in the environmental field. Methods The word "oil spill*" was used as the subject term for retrieval. A knowledge map of hotspots in oil spill research was built through software VOSviewer and the clustering relations between them were explored. The frequency and relevance of the keywords in the corresponding literature were obtained by the matrix of keywords built through the Thomson Data Analyzer （TDA） software. Results The four main research hotspots of marine oil spill pollution were oil spill numerical simulation and model prediction, oil spill exposure toxicity and risk assessment, oil spill component and source analysis and oil spill pollution characteristics and treatment. Conclusion The study analyzes the main content of the four research hotspots and the current research progress and provides scientific basis for further understanding of the mechanism of marine oil spill occurrence, migration and transformation, implementation of oil spill treatment and repair as well as more accurate assessment of eco-environment damage.
Accidents ; Bibliometrics ; Petroleum Pollution/adverse effects* ; Risk Assessment ; Software

Environmental Monitoring ; Petroleum Pollution/analysis* ; Republic of Korea ; Ships

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to examine the relationship between crude oil exposure and physical symptoms among residents participating in clean-up work associated with the Hebei Spirit oil spill, 2007 in Korea. METHODS: A total of 288 residents responded to a questionnaire regarding subjective physical symptoms, sociodemographic characteristics and clean-up activities that occurred between two and eight weeks after the accident. Additionally, the urine of 154 of the respondents was analyzed for metabolites of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals. To compare the urinary levels of exposure biomarkers, the urine of 39 inland residents who were not directly exposed to the oil spill were analyzed. RESULTS: Residents exposed to oil remnants through clean-up work showed associations between physical symptoms and the exposure levels defined in various ways, including days of work, degree of skin contamination, and levels of some urinary exposure biomarkers of VOCs, metabolites and metals, although no major abnormalities in urinary exposure biomarkers were observed. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence of a relationship between crude oil exposure and acute human health effects and suggests the need for follow-up to evaluate the exposure status and long-term health effects of clean-up participants.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Metals ; Metals, Heavy ; Petroleum ; Petroleum Pollution ; Polycyclic Hydrocarbons, Aromatic ; Skin ; Volatile Organic Compounds ; Biomarkers ; Surveys and Questionnaires

On 7 December 2007, the Hebei Spirit ran aground near Taean and released approximately 10,900 tons of oil into the sea. Crude oil on the coastal areas and fumes in the air increased the number of health problems among the local population. We report a case of respiratory failure after the oil spill clean-up work. A 66-year-old female was admitted to hospital with cough, sputum, and dyspnea of 1-month duration after the oil spill clean-up. She was diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia and treated with empirical antibiotics. However, she had progressive respiratory failure without identification of the pathogen. Respiratory failure due to chronic inhalation of hydrocarbons from the crude oil spill clean-up was suspected. After mechanical ventilation care, she recovered from respiratory failure and was discharged. We report a case of severe respiratory toxic effects after an oil spill clean-up. We concluded that long-term hydrocarbon inhalation during the oil spill clean-up may have induced respiratory failure in this case.
Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Cough ; Dyspnea ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrocarbons ; Inhalation ; Petroleum ; Petroleum Pollution ; Pneumonia ; Respiration, Artificial ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Sputum

OBJECTIVES: Children are one of the most vulnerable populations to the impact of disasters. We aimed to examine children's mental health in the area affected by the Hebei Spirit oil spill accident on December 7, 2007. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted using the Korean versions of the Children's Depression Inventory and State Anxiety Inventory for Children on 1,362 children attending elementary schools in the affected area. The information on distances between the nearest contaminated coastline to the child's residential house or attending school were obtained using a web-based map by inputting two address points. The symptom risks of depression and state anxiety were estimated by multiple logistic regression analyses adjusted for age, gender, and other covariates. RESULTS: Children with the closest distance (in the fourth quartile) to the school from the contaminated coastline showed a significantly higher symptom risk of depression compared to those with the farthest distance (first quartile)(odds ratio, 2.73; 95% confidence interval, 1.40-5.33), while there was no significant association between anxiety symptoms and distance. CONCLUSIONS: Children, a vulnerable population for mental health impact by the oil spill accident, should be included in mental health programs in the community along with their family as victims of the disaster.
Anxiety ; Child ; Depression ; Disasters ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Mental Health* ; Petroleum Pollution* ; Vulnerable Populations ; Surveys and Questionnaires