Gulf spill cleanup workers’ illnesses still loom as the nation approaches the one year anniversary of the BP spill, Online Journal reports. According to the journal, workers involved in the cleanup have been reporting mysterious symptoms to doctors who find it nearly impossible to treat them.
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Louisiana has reported 415 cases of health problems linked to the spill since last August. Symptoms include headaches, nausea, sore throats, irritated eyes and respiratory tract infections.
The situation has been one of controversy, with officials unsure of how to measure what health problems are actually linked to the oil spill. Bernard Goldstein, environmental toxicologist and professor at the University of Pittsburgh, said in a statement to the AFP that the government’s method of collecting data on the cleanup workers is flawed.
Goldstein also told the AFP that the study conducted by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences was not funded until six months after the spill. Six months was much too late…Benzene will disappear from the blood within four months, he added.
Benzene is a carcinogen found in crude oil.
Scientists have said the Gulf of Mexico is almost back to normal. Jane Lubchenco, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration told the Associated Press that the current situation in the Gulf is much better than most expected but the overall extent of damages has yet to be determined.
According to Lubchenco, scientists have reported a number of dolphin deaths and other issues in the Gulf.
