Dispersants and Your Health

What are oil spill dispersants?
Oil spill dispersants are products that break an oil slick into small drops and stop the oil from coming back together to make a new slick. They do not remove oil from water but they do make it easier for nature to break down the oil. Broken down oil is less likely to stick to animals, rocks, and plants.

How are oil spill dispersants used?
Oil spill dispersants are sprayed on top of a slick from planes and ships. They can also be forced under the surface of the water to break up oil before it reaches the surface.

What are the health threats of oil spill dispersants?
For most people brief contact with a small amount of oil spill dispersants will do no harm.

If your skin is exposed to dispersants for a long time, a rash and dry skin could develop. Dispersants can also irritate your eyes.

If you breathe in dispersants for a long time or several times they can irritate your nose, throat, and lungs.

Swallowing dispersants will cause upset stomach, vomiting, and diarrhea.

If you are exposed to dispersants for a long time or several times they can also cause central nervous system effects; sleepiness; damage to your blood, kidney or liver; and a metallic taste in your mouth.

How can I avoid the health threats of oil spill dispersants?
Most people will not be exposed to enough oil spill dispersants to be affected.

If you are working on the spill, wear nitrile or PVC gloves, coveralls, boots, and chemical splash goggles to keep dispersants off your skin and out of your eyes.

If you breathe in dispersants, move to an area where the air is clearer.

If you get dispersants on your skin, immediately wash with soap and water. If symptoms develop, seek medical attention.

If you get dispersants in your eyes, flush them with water for 15 minutes.

If you swallow dispersants, do not try to vomit, as this may get dispersants into your lungs and cause pneumonia. Wash out your mouth with water and seek medical attention.

[Info last updated: April 20, 2012]

Results of the Louisiana Environmental Action Network (LEAN) Survey of the Human Health Impacts Due to the BP Deepwater Horizon Disaster

Be sure to refer to local health information from each specific state.

State

• Louisiana Dept. of Health Oil Spill Information
• Alabama Dept. of Public Health
• Mississippi Dept. of Public Health
• Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection

Federal

• Center for Disease Control: A hub of information related to the health impact for specific groups (like children and pregnant women), how to protect your health, food, air, water information, and FAQs.
• Restore the Gulf: Official site of the US Government
  • Extensive list of Fact Sheets
  • Federal Science Report Analyzes Environmental Risks and Benefits of Additional Clean Up for Sensitive Beaches in the Gulf (released 2/11/11)

• Seafood Safety and Testing from the FDA
  • Protocol for Interpretation and Use of Sensory Testing and Analytical Chemistry Results for Re-opening Oil impacted Areas Closed to Seafood Harvesting (FDA)
• Health and Human Services Response to the Oil Spill
• Crude Oil Spills and Health from NIH
  • Multi-language Resources

Articles, Fact Sheets and Flyers

• Living on Earth - Toxic Tide: Discovering the Health Effects of the Deepwater Disaster (2/11/11)
• Louisiana Fact Sheets in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese
  • What you should and should not do in areas affected by the oil spill (from the Louisiana Department of Health & Hospitals)

• Health advisory flyer for oil and tarballs on the beach
• Understanding Tarballs (pdf) NOAA

Worker Safety

• NIEHS Oil Spill Emergency Response and Clean-up Many resources related to worker safety
• Oil Spills - Keeping Workers Safe (OSHA)

Resources for Healthcare Providers

• CDC Information for Health Professionals
• HHS.Gov Resources for Health Professionals

• American Public Health Association (APHA) Oil Spill Resources

• Public Information on the Gulf Spill from The American Academy of Clinical Toxicology (AACT), and the Pediatric Environmental Health pecialty Units (PEHSU)
• National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemiclals - PAHs (CDC)

Advocacy Groups

• Advocates for Environmental and Human Rights
• Gulf Future Campaign
  • Map of Participating Organizations
• Louisiana Environmental Action Network (LEAN)
• Louisiana Bucket Brigade

On This Page

• Relevant State and Federal Health Departments
• Fact Sheets for the Public
• Worker Safety
• Resources for Healthcare Providers
• Advocacy Groups

• Dispersants and Your Health
• Precautions for Children
• What Pregnant Women Should Know
• Seafood Safety
• Hurricanes and the Oil Spill (PDF)