Health care problems from BP oil spill to last years, experts say

The health care impact of the massive BP oil spill will be measured in years - not weeks or even months - according to a panel of experts who testified this week before a congressional committee. Because too little is known about the toxicity of the oil, and more specifically about BP's own recipe for chemicals used to disperse the oil, health care problems are likely to last for years and need to be monitored, experts said during their testimony. The BP oil spill is approaching its third month of environmental and health degradation of the Gulf waters and shores.

The hearing by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee looked at steps taken so far to monitor and deal with health care issues, and what the longer-term threats and effects may be, according to CNN. Lisa Kaplowitz, a deputy assistant secretary of health and human services involved in preparedness and response, said the spilled oil would cause health care concerns for years to come. "The impacts of this disaster must be considered in the framework in not weeks or months, but years," Kaplowitz said, adding that there is a lack of long-term assessments on the toxicity of oil in the environment.

Fortunately, the monitoring of health care concerns has already begun. Concerned about the growing number of Gulf Coast residents and clean up workers becoming ill as a result of the spill, federal and state health care officials teamed up earlier this month to send a mobile medical clinic to Louisiana to treat people and monitor the long-term health care effects of what is clearly becoming one of the worst environmental disasters of our time. The mobile health care clinic - a joint venture between the federal Department of Health and Human Services and Louisiana public health -  will stay in Venice, La. indefinitely to provide health care services to clean up workers and local residents who have complained so far of throat irritation, eye irritation, nausea, headache, and coughs.

And it could get worse. CNN reported the fears of experts that the upcoming hurricane season could make the health care problems worse. Kaplowitz, the deputy assistant secretary of health and human services involved in preparedness and response,  noted that the start of hurricane season raises the possibility of a storm surge carrying the oil slick far onto shore, expanding public exposure to the harmful chemicals. "We really don't know what's going to happen," Kaplowitz said. "We are very concerned that the oil can be pushed further inland due to a storm surge. ... This is unprecedented, but clearly we have to be concerned."

How concerned do we have to be about the long-term health care effect of the oil spill? Consider this excerpt from joint report by researchers at the Karmanos Cancer Institute in Royal Oak, Michigan and the Sciencecorps organization in Lexington Mass., which assesses the human health threat of the BP oil spill: "Crude oil contains chemicals that readily penetrate cell walls, damage cell structures, including DNA, and alter the function of the cells and the organs where they are located. Crude oil is toxic, and ingredients can damage every system in the body."

Photo Credit: marinephotobank