Oil Spill Toxic Air Issues

If you live in an area affected by the April 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, call us and we will work with your particular issues and your budget to decrease your health risk. If you have a friend or loved one in the area, please send this information to them.

Will a room air purifier help prevent or diminish health risks for people living in the affected area? Some types of air purifiers will help, but not all types. Air purifiers vary widely and only specific types of filtration will make a difference. We recommend three at the end of this article.

People who had multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) or asthma before the oil spill occurred, as well as babies, children and the elderly are the most at risk. Healthy adults run the least risk, although those associated with the clean-up effort may develop symptoms of Toxicant-Induced Loss of Tolerance, which makes them sensitive to chemicals such as household cleaners they had no trouble with before the spill.

Air purifiers which will remove the chemicals specific to the oil spill disaster are described below.

The issues around air quality and the oil spill include:

  • VOCs in the freshly spilled oil
  • SVOCs in the weathered oil
  • VOCs and particulate from the oil burn-off

There are many VOCs (volatile organic compounds) in crude oil. Some evaporate rapidly. Although there may be minor, temporary irritation, most do not cause long term damage.

Four VOCs in the oil do have the potential of contributing to long term health issues when inhaled. These are: benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene. EPA studies indicate that long-term exposure to benzene and ethylbenzene has the potential to cause cancer, while long term exposure to toluene and xylene can adversely affect the nervous system.

The chemical gas hydrogen sulfide is also released when oil and air mix (yielding a rotten egg odor) which can cause mild irritation and headaches but is typically not a long lasting health risk.

SVOCs are semi-volatile organic compounds.

There are a variety of SVOCs present in "weathered" crude oil which has either been in the water for a prolonged time or is formed when oil is burned off. Although some SVOCs have the potential of causing cancer, that does not mean that they are present in amounts that put people significantly at risk. It is important to stay aware of the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) monitoring in your specific area. VOCs and SVOCs are already present from industry and automobiles. Only certain areas will have increased amounts.

Air purifiers come in a variety of technologies. Some have filtration systems primarily designed to remove particulate that is irritating to allergenics and asthmatics. Some have filtration that is designed for people with MCS (multiple chemical sensitivity). Some air purifier models have both. Washable filters which are designed to remove dust will have little effect. The chemicals that will be inhaled from the oil spill, from the dispersants used and from the burn-off require filter media that can retain them.

ClearFlite recommends these air purifier models