Health effects of non-occupational exposure to oil extraction

Effect of Herbicide-Resistant Oil-Degrading Bacteria on Plants in Soil Contaminated with Oil and Herbicides

Biological remediation of agricultural soils contaminated with oil is complicated by the presence of residual amounts of chemical plant protection products, in particular, herbicides, which, like oil, negatively affect the soil microbiome and plants. In this work, we studied five strains of bacteria of the genera Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter, which exhibited a high degree of oil biodegradation (72-96%). All strains showed resistance to herbicides based on 2,4-D, imazethapyr and tribenuron-methyl, the ability to fix nitrogen, phosphate mobilization, and production of indole-3-acetic acid. The presence of pollutants affected the growth-stimulating properties of bacteria in different ways. The most promising strain P. citronellolis N2 was used alone and together with oat and lupine plants for soil remediation of oil, including herbicide-treated oil-contaminated soil. Combined contamination was more toxic to plants and soil microorganisms. Bacterization stimulated the formation of chlorophyll and suppressed the synthesis of abscisic acid and malonic dialdehyde in plant tissues. The combined use of bacteria and oat plants most effectively reduced the content of hydrocarbons in the soil (including in the presence of herbicides). The results obtained can be used to develop new methods for bioremediation of soils with polychemical pollution.

Sociodemographic and Population Exposure to Upstream Oil and Gas Operations in Canada

Canada, as one of the largest oil and gas producer in the world, is responsible for large emissions of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. At low levels, methane is not a direct threat to human health; however, human health is affected by exposure to pollutants co-emitted with methane. The objectives of this research were to estimate and map pollutants emitted by the oil and gas industry, to assess the demographic of the population exposed to oil and gas activities, and to characterize the impact of well density on cardiovascular- and respiratory-related outcomes with a focus on Alberta. We estimated that ~13% and 3% people in Alberta reside, respectively, within 1.5 km of an active well and 1.5 km of a flare. Our analysis suggests that racial and socioeconomic disparities exist in residential proximity to active wells, with people of Aboriginal identity and people with less education being more exposed to active wells than the general population. We found increased odds of cardiovascular-related (1.13-1.29 for low active well density) and respiratory-related (1.07-1.19 for low active well density) outcomes with exposure to wells. Close to 100 countries produce oil and gas, making this a global issue. There is an important need for additional studies from other producing jurisdictions outside the United States.

The 2024 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: facing record-breaking threats from delayed action

Despite the initial hope inspired by the 2015 Paris Agreement, the world is now dangerously close to breaching its target of limiting global multiyear mean heating to 1·5°C. Annual mean surface temperature reached a record high of 1·45°C above the pre-industrial baseline in 2023, and new temperature highs were recorded throughout 2024. The resulting climatic extremes are increasingly claiming lives and livelihoods worldwide.

The Lancet Countdown: tracking progress on health and climate change was established the same year the Paris Agreement entered into force, to monitor the health impacts and opportunities of the world’s response to this landmark agreement. Supported through strategic core funding from Wellcome, the collaboration brings together over 300 multidisciplinary researchers and health professionals from around the world to take stock annually of the evolving links between health and climate change at global, regional, and national levels.

The 2024 report of the Lancet Countdown, building on the expertise of 122 leading researchers from UN agencies and academic institutions worldwide, reveals the most concerning findings yet in the collaboration’s 8 years of monitoring.

A systematic review of the impacts of oil spillage on residents of oil-producing communities in Nigeria

Oil spillage is common in oil-producing communities of Nigeria, and it impacts negatively on the residents of these communities. This study analysed available research data on oil spillage incidents in these communities to determine their main causes and impacts on the residents. This study highlights the immediate and long-term consequences of oil spills on residents of oil-host communities in Nigeria. A systematic review of published studies was carried out, and 22 studies were identified from the literature search. The main causes of oil spills were identified as sabotage (87%), leakage from corroded pipelines (62%), and equipment failure (45%). Others were mystery spills and operational failures. Unemployment, abject poverty, marginalization, and inaction of government regulatory agencies are enabling factors for sabotage and vandalism of oil pipelines. It was found that exposure to oil spills impacts directly and indirectly on residents of oil-host communities, with accompanying health, socioeconomic, and environmental implications. Oil spills in these communities impact on all facets of their life, thereby infringing on their rights to existence and survival. The major interventions were targeted at improving health services, education, infrastructure, skill acquisition, and employment. These in turn reduced the occurrence of violence, insurgency, and human trafficking in the oil-producing communities. It is recommended that government regulatory agencies should be revamped and repositioned to effectively perform their duties. Interventions should be targeted at addressing the causes of agitation by indigenes by involving them in the decision-making process. Also, appropriate remediation strategies should be adopted to clean up the oil spills.

The atlas of unburnable oil for supply-side climate policies

To limit the increase in global mean temperature to 1.5 °C, CO2 emissions must be drastically reduced. Accordingly, approximately 97%, 81%, and 71% of existing coal and conventional gas and oil resources, respectively, need to remain unburned. This article develops an integrated spatial assessment model based on estimates and locations of conventional oil resources and socio-environmental criteria to construct a global atlas of unburnable oil. The results show that biodiversity hotspots, richness centres of endemic species, natural protected areas, urban areas, and the territories of Indigenous Peoples in voluntary isolation coincide with 609 gigabarrels (Gbbl) of conventional oil resources. Since 1524 Gbbl of conventional oil resources are required to be left untapped in order to keep global warming under 1.5 °C, all of the above-mentioned socio-environmentally sensitive areas can be kept entirely off-limits to oil extraction. The model provides spatial guidelines to select unburnable fossil fuels resources while enhancing collateral socio-environmental benefits.

Toxicological Effects of Inhaled Crude Oil Vapor

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The purpose of this review is to assess the toxicological consequences of crude oil vapor (COV) exposure in the workplace through evaluation of the most current epidemiologic and laboratory-based studies in the literature.

RECENT FINDINGS

Crude oil is a naturally occuring mixture of hydrocarbon deposits, inorganic and organic chemical compounds. Workers engaged in upstream processes of oil extraction are exposed to a number of risks and hazards, including getting crude oil on their skin or inhaling crude oil vapor. There have been several reports of workers who died as a result of inhalation of high levels of COV released upon opening thief hatches atop oil storage tanks. Although many investigations into the toxicity of specific hydrocarbons following inhalation during downstream oil processing have been conducted, there is a paucity of information on the potential toxicity of COV exposure itself. This review assesses current knowledge of the toxicological consequences of exposures to COV in the workplace.

Advanced bioremediation by an amalgamation of nanotechnology and modern artificial intelligence for efficient restoration of crude petroleum oil-contaminated sites: a prospective study

Crude petroleum oil spillage is becoming a global concern for environmental pollution and poses a severe threat to flora and fauna. Bioremediation is considered a clean, eco-friendly, and cost-effective process to achieve success among the several technologies adopted to mitigate fossil fuel pollution. However, due to the hydrophobic and recalcitrant nature of the oily components, they are not readily bioavailable to the biological components for the remediation process. In the last decade, nanoparticle-based restoration of oil-contaminated, owing to several attractive properties, has gained significant momentum. Thus, intertwining nano- and bioremediation can lead to a suitable technology termed 'nanobioremediation' expected to nullify bioremediation's drawbacks. Furthermore, artificial intelligence (AI), an advanced and sophisticated technique that utilizes digital brains or software to perform different tasks, may radically transfer the bioremediation process to develop an efficient, faster, robust, and more accurate method for rehabilitating oil-contaminated systems. The present review outlines the critical issues associated with the conventional bioremediation process. It analyses the significance of the nanobioremediation process in combination with AI to overcome such drawbacks of a traditional approach for efficiently remedying crude petroleum oil-contaminated sites.

The Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health

Background

Plastics have conveyed great benefits to humanity and made possible some of the most significant advances of modern civilization in fields as diverse as medicine, electronics, aerospace, construction, food packaging, and sports. It is now clear, however, that plastics are also responsible for significant harms to human health, the economy, and the earth's environment. These harms occur at every stage of the plastic life cycle, from extraction of the coal, oil, and gas that are its main feedstocks through to ultimate disposal into the environment. The extent of these harms not been systematically assessed, their magnitude not fully quantified, and their economic costs not comprehensively counted.

Goals

The goals of this Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health are to comprehensively examine plastics' impacts across their life cycle on: (1) human health and well-being; (2) the global environment, especially the ocean; (3) the economy; and (4) vulnerable populations-the poor, minorities, and the world's children. On the basis of this examination, the Commission offers science-based recommendations designed to support development of a Global Plastics Treaty, protect human health, and save lives.

Report Structure

This Commission report contains seven Sections. Following an Introduction, Section 2 presents a narrative review of the processes involved in plastic production, use, and disposal and notes the hazards to human health and the environment associated with each of these stages. Section 3 describes plastics' impacts on the ocean and notes the potential for plastic in the ocean to enter the marine food web and result in human exposure. Section 4 details plastics' impacts on human health. Section 5 presents a first-order estimate of plastics' health-related economic costs. Section 6 examines the intersection between plastic, social inequity, and environmental injustice. Section 7 presents the Commission's findings and recommendations.

Plastics

Plastics are complex, highly heterogeneous, synthetic chemical materials. Over 98% of plastics are produced from fossil carbon- coal, oil and gas. Plastics are comprised of a carbon-based polymer backbone and thousands of additional chemicals that are incorporated into polymers to convey specific properties such as color, flexibility, stability, water repellence, flame retardation, and ultraviolet resistance. Many of these added chemicals are highly toxic. They include carcinogens, neurotoxicants and endocrine disruptors such as phthalates, bisphenols, per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), brominated flame retardants, and organophosphate flame retardants. They are integral components of plastic and are responsible for many of plastics' harms to human health and the environment.Global plastic production has increased almost exponentially since World War II, and in this time more than 8,300 megatons (Mt) of plastic have been manufactured. Annual production volume has grown from under 2 Mt in 1950 to 460 Mt in 2019, a 230-fold increase, and is on track to triple by 2060. More than half of all plastic ever made has been produced since 2002. Single-use plastics account for 35-40% of current plastic production and represent the most rapidly growing segment of plastic manufacture.Explosive recent growth in plastics production reflects a deliberate pivot by the integrated multinational fossil-carbon corporations that produce coal, oil and gas and that also manufacture plastics. These corporations are reducing their production of fossil fuels and increasing plastics manufacture. The two principal factors responsible for this pivot are decreasing global demand for carbon-based fuels due to increases in 'green' energy, and massive expansion of oil and gas production due to fracking.Plastic manufacture is energy-intensive and contributes significantly to climate change. At present, plastic production is responsible for an estimated 3.7% of global greenhouse gas emissions, more than the contribution of Brazil. This fraction is projected to increase to 4.5% by 2060 if current trends continue unchecked.

Plastic Life Cycle

The plastic life cycle has three phases: production, use, and disposal. In production, carbon feedstocks-coal, gas, and oil-are transformed through energy-intensive, catalytic processes into a vast array of products. Plastic use occurs in every aspect of modern life and results in widespread human exposure to the chemicals contained in plastic. Single-use plastics constitute the largest portion of current use, followed by synthetic fibers and construction.Plastic disposal is highly inefficient, with recovery and recycling rates below 10% globally. The result is that an estimated 22 Mt of plastic waste enters the environment each year, much of it single-use plastic and are added to the more than 6 gigatons of plastic waste that have accumulated since 1950. Strategies for disposal of plastic waste include controlled and uncontrolled landfilling, open burning, thermal conversion, and export. Vast quantities of plastic waste are exported each year from high-income to low-income countries, where it accumulates in landfills, pollutes air and water, degrades vital ecosystems, befouls beaches and estuaries, and harms human health-environmental injustice on a global scale. Plastic-laden e-waste is particularly problematic.

Environmental Findings

Plastics and plastic-associated chemicals are responsible for widespread pollution. They contaminate aquatic (marine and freshwater), terrestrial, and atmospheric environments globally. The ocean is the ultimate destination for much plastic, and plastics are found throughout the ocean, including coastal regions, the sea surface, the deep sea, and polar sea ice. Many plastics appear to resist breakdown in the ocean and could persist in the global environment for decades. Macro- and micro-plastic particles have been identified in hundreds of marine species in all major taxa, including species consumed by humans. Trophic transfer of microplastic particles and the chemicals within them has been demonstrated. Although microplastic particles themselves (>10 µm) appear not to undergo biomagnification, hydrophobic plastic-associated chemicals bioaccumulate in marine animals and biomagnify in marine food webs. The amounts and fates of smaller microplastic and nanoplastic particles (MNPs <10 µm) in aquatic environments are poorly understood, but the potential for harm is worrying given their mobility in biological systems. Adverse environmental impacts of plastic pollution occur at multiple levels from molecular and biochemical to population and ecosystem. MNP contamination of seafood results in direct, though not well quantified, human exposure to plastics and plastic-associated chemicals. Marine plastic pollution endangers the ocean ecosystems upon which all humanity depends for food, oxygen, livelihood, and well-being.

Human Health Findings

Coal miners, oil workers and gas field workers who extract fossil carbon feedstocks for plastic production suffer increased mortality from traumatic injury, coal workers' pneumoconiosis, silicosis, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer. Plastic production workers are at increased risk of leukemia, lymphoma, hepatic angiosarcoma, brain cancer, breast cancer, mesothelioma, neurotoxic injury, and decreased fertility. Workers producing plastic textiles die of bladder cancer, lung cancer, mesothelioma, and interstitial lung disease at increased rates. Plastic recycling workers have increased rates of cardiovascular disease, toxic metal poisoning, neuropathy, and lung cancer. Residents of "fenceline" communities adjacent to plastic production and waste disposal sites experience increased risks of premature birth, low birth weight, asthma, childhood leukemia, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer.During use and also in disposal, plastics release toxic chemicals including additives and residual monomers into the environment and into people. National biomonitoring surveys in the USA document population-wide exposures to these chemicals. Plastic additives disrupt endocrine function and increase risk for premature births, neurodevelopmental disorders, male reproductive birth defects, infertility, obesity, cardiovascular disease, renal disease, and cancers. Chemical-laden MNPs formed through the environmental degradation of plastic waste can enter living organisms, including humans. Emerging, albeit still incomplete evidence indicates that MNPs may cause toxicity due to their physical and toxicological effects as well as by acting as vectors that transport toxic chemicals and bacterial pathogens into tissues and cells.Infants in the womb and young children are two populations at particularly high risk of plastic-related health effects. Because of the exquisite sensitivity of early development to hazardous chemicals and children's unique patterns of exposure, plastic-associated exposures are linked to increased risks of prematurity, stillbirth, low birth weight, birth defects of the reproductive organs, neurodevelopmental impairment, impaired lung growth, and childhood cancer. Early-life exposures to plastic-associated chemicals also increase the risk of multiple non-communicable diseases later in life.

Economic Findings

Plastic's harms to human health result in significant economic costs. We estimate that in 2015 the health-related costs of plastic production exceeded $250 billion (2015 Int$) globally, and that in the USA alone the health costs of disease and disability caused by the plastic-associated chemicals PBDE, BPA and DEHP exceeded $920 billion (2015 Int$). Plastic production results in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions equivalent to 1.96 gigatons of carbon dioxide (CO2e) annually. Using the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) social cost of carbon metric, we estimate the annual costs of these GHG emissions to be $341 billion (2015 Int$).These costs, large as they are, almost certainly underestimate the full economic losses resulting from plastics' negative impacts on human health and the global environment. All of plastics' economic costs-and also its social costs-are externalized by the petrochemical and plastic manufacturing industry and are borne by citizens, taxpayers, and governments in countries around the world without compensation.

Social Justice Findings

The adverse effects of plastics and plastic pollution on human health, the economy and the environment are not evenly distributed. They disproportionately affect poor, disempowered, and marginalized populations such as workers, racial and ethnic minorities, "fenceline" communities, Indigenous groups, women, and children, all of whom had little to do with creating the current plastics crisis and lack the political influence or the resources to address it. Plastics' harmful impacts across its life cycle are most keenly felt in the Global South, in small island states, and in disenfranchised areas in the Global North. Social and environmental justice (SEJ) principles require reversal of these inequitable burdens to ensure that no group bears a disproportionate share of plastics' negative impacts and that those who benefit economically from plastic bear their fair share of its currently externalized costs.

Conclusions

It is now clear that current patterns of plastic production, use, and disposal are not sustainable and are responsible for significant harms to human health, the environment, and the economy as well as for deep societal injustices.The main driver of these worsening harms is an almost exponential and still accelerating increase in global plastic production. Plastics' harms are further magnified by low rates of recovery and recycling and by the long persistence of plastic waste in the environment.The thousands of chemicals in plastics-monomers, additives, processing agents, and non-intentionally added substances-include amongst their number known human carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, neurotoxicants, and persistent organic pollutants. These chemicals are responsible for many of plastics' known harms to human and planetary health. The chemicals leach out of plastics, enter the environment, cause pollution, and result in human exposure and disease. All efforts to reduce plastics' hazards must address the hazards of plastic-associated chemicals.

Recommendations

To protect human and planetary health, especially the health of vulnerable and at-risk populations, and put the world on track to end plastic pollution by 2040, this Commission supports urgent adoption by the world's nations of a strong and comprehensive Global Plastics Treaty in accord with the mandate set forth in the March 2022 resolution of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA).International measures such as a Global Plastics Treaty are needed to curb plastic production and pollution, because the harms to human health and the environment caused by plastics, plastic-associated chemicals and plastic waste transcend national boundaries, are planetary in their scale, and have disproportionate impacts on the health and well-being of people in the world's poorest nations. Effective implementation of the Global Plastics Treaty will require that international action be coordinated and complemented by interventions at the national, regional, and local levels.This Commission urges that a cap on global plastic production with targets, timetables, and national contributions be a central provision of the Global Plastics Treaty. We recommend inclusion of the following additional provisions:The Treaty needs to extend beyond microplastics and marine litter to include all of the many thousands of chemicals incorporated into plastics.The Treaty needs to include a provision banning or severely restricting manufacture and use of unnecessary, avoidable, and problematic plastic items, especially single-use items such as manufactured plastic microbeads.The Treaty needs to include requirements on extended producer responsibility (EPR) that make fossil carbon producers, plastic producers, and the manufacturers of plastic products legally and financially responsible for the safety and end-of-life management of all the materials they produce and sell.The Treaty needs to mandate reductions in the chemical complexity of plastic products; health-protective standards for plastics and plastic additives; a requirement for use of sustainable non-toxic materials; full disclosure of all components; and traceability of components. International cooperation will be essential to implementing and enforcing these standards.The Treaty needs to include SEJ remedies at each stage of the plastic life cycle designed to fill gaps in community knowledge and advance both distributional and procedural equity.This Commission encourages inclusion in the Global Plastic Treaty of a provision calling for exploration of listing at least some plastic polymers as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) under the Stockholm Convention.This Commission encourages a strong interface between the Global Plastics Treaty and the Basel and London Conventions to enhance management of hazardous plastic waste and slow current massive exports of plastic waste into the world's least-developed countries.This Commission recommends the creation of a Permanent Science Policy Advisory Body to guide the Treaty's implementation. The main priorities of this Body would be to guide Member States and other stakeholders in evaluating which solutions are most effective in reducing plastic consumption, enhancing plastic waste recovery and recycling, and curbing the generation of plastic waste. This Body could also assess trade-offs among these solutions and evaluate safer alternatives to current plastics. It could monitor the transnational export of plastic waste. It could coordinate robust oceanic-, land-, and air-based MNP monitoring programs.This Commission recommends urgent investment by national governments in research into solutions to the global plastic crisis. This research will need to determine which solutions are most effective and cost-effective in the context of particular countries and assess the risks and benefits of proposed solutions. Oceanographic and environmental research is needed to better measure concentrations and impacts of plastics <10 µm and understand their distribution and fate in the global environment. Biomedical research is needed to elucidate the human health impacts of plastics, especially MNPs.

Summary

This Commission finds that plastics are both a boon to humanity and a stealth threat to human and planetary health. Plastics convey enormous benefits, but current linear patterns of plastic production, use, and disposal that pay little attention to sustainable design or safe materials and a near absence of recovery, reuse, and recycling are responsible for grave harms to health, widespread environmental damage, great economic costs, and deep societal injustices. These harms are rapidly worsening.While there remain gaps in knowledge about plastics' harms and uncertainties about their full magnitude, the evidence available today demonstrates unequivocally that these impacts are great and that they will increase in severity in the absence of urgent and effective intervention at global scale. Manufacture and use of essential plastics may continue. However, reckless increases in plastic production, and especially increases in the manufacture of an ever-increasing array of unnecessary single-use plastic products, need to be curbed.Global intervention against the plastic crisis is needed now because the costs of failure to act will be immense.

Effect of crude oil exploration and exploitation activities on soil, water and air in a Nigerian community

The continuous degradation of environmental ecosystems (land, water and soil) resulting from crude oil exploration and exploitation activities continues to gain global attention. This study investigates the effects of crude oil exploration and exploitation activities on soil, water and air in the study area. Soil samples were collected in three replicates at depths of 0-15 and 15-30 cm at sampling distances of 20, 100 and 200 m a from core oil exploitation operation area and a control point. Water samples were also taken from within the study area and analyzed using standard procedures. Major pollutants concentrations of particulate matter (PM_2.5 and PM₁₀) of the air were also measured using Air Quality Index (AQI). The results reveal that the soil, water and air parameters measured mostly at 20 m from the core oil operation area compromise the allowable standards provided for healthy living. In the same manner, some results at 100 and 200 m were slightly higher than the recommended values in some cases of heavy metals and bacteria activities in the soil. The AQI at 20 m was far above the permissible limit provided by the Environmental Protection Agency while others are gradually drawing towards the limit given for each pollutant. To safeguard the health of the residents of the host community and oil field workers, there is a need for proper and frequent environmental monitoring and assessment by authorized regulatory bodies in Nigeria. This will prevent any future exposure which may endanger the lives of the dwellers.

Impact of petroleum industry on goats in Saudi Arabia: heavy metal accumulation, oxidative stress, and tissue injury

Heavy metals (HMs) constitute a group of persistent toxic pollutants, and the petroleum industry is one of the sources of these metals. This study aimed to evaluate the levels of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), and vanadium (V) in Plantago ovata and milk and tissues of domestic goats in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia. Plant samples and blood, milk, muscle, liver, and kidney samples were collected from domestic goats and the levels of Pb, Cd, V, and Ni were determined. Liver and kidney tissue injury, oxidative stress, and expression of pro-inflammatory and apoptosis markers were evaluated. Pb, Cd, V, and Ni were increased in Plantago ovata as well as in milk, blood, muscle, liver, and kidney of goats collected from the polluted site. Aminotransferases, creatinine, and urea were increased in serum, and histopathological changes were observed in the liver and kidney of goats at the oil extraction site. Malondialdehyde and the expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, Bax, and caspase-3 were increased, whereas cellular antioxidants and Bcl-2 were decreased in liver and kidney of goats at the polluted site. In conclusion, petroleum industry caused liver and kidney injury, oxidative stress, and upregulated pro-inflammatory and apoptosis markers in goats. These findings highlight the negative impact of petroleum industry on the environment and call attention to the assessment of its effect on the health of nearby communities.

Hair Toxic Trace Elements of Residents across the Caspian Oil and Gas Region of Kazakhstan: Cross-Sectional Study

This study aimed to assess the relationship between the content of toxic trace elements, such as aluminum (Al), arsenic (As), beryllium (Be), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb), in the hair of the adult population of western Kazakhstan and the distance of their residence from oil and gas fields. The cross-sectional study included 850 adults aged 18-60 years. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to measure the level of Al, As, Be, Cd, Hg, and Pb in hair. The relationship between the concentration of toxic trace elements in the hair and the distance from oil and gas fields was assessed in three groups (<16 km, 16-110 km, and >110 km), using multiple linear regression analysis. The highest concentration of Hg = 0.338 μg/g was determined in the group living near oil and gas fields (0-16 km), whereas the lowest concentration of Al = 3.127 μg/g and As = 0.028 μg/g was determined in participants living at a long distance (more than 110 km) (p < 0.001). The concentration of Al (-0.126 (CI: -0.174; -0.077)), Hg (-0.065 (CI: -0.129; -0.001)), and Pb (0.111 (CI: 0.045; 0.177)) is associated with the distance to oil and gas fields. The obtained data indicate a change in the toxic trace element content in the hair of residents in the Caspian region of western Kazakhstan, a change that is most pronounced in residents living in the zone of oil and gas pollution. The distance to the oil and gas fields affects the content of toxic elements in scalp hair. In particular, the concentration of Al and Hg is associated with a decrease in the distance to oil and gas fields, while the concentration of Pb is associated with an increase in the distance to these fields. The lowest content of Al and As was determined in the hair of study participants living in the most remote areas (more than 110 km from oil and gas fields). Our results demonstrate the need for the biomonitoring of toxic elements to determine long-term temporal trends in the impact of chemicals on public health in western Kazakhstan.

An Exploratory Investigation of Government Air Monitoring Data after Hurricane Harvey

Southeast Texas is home to some of the largest refineries in the United States. During Hurricane Harvey, emergency shutdowns took place. In this exploratory investigation, we examine how government air monitors performed in measuring air quality in Beaumont, Texas during and in the months following Hurricane Harvey. Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) data from two active air monitors in Beaumont, Texas were analyzed during the year 2017–2018. Concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitric oxide (NO), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), ozone, benzene, and hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) were investigated. The number of hours and days no data were reported by air monitors were also investigated. Yearly maximum values (MAX, all in parts per billion (ppb)) in 2017 for SO₂, NO, and NOx (53.7, 113.4, 134, respectively) and their respective standard deviations (SD: 1.3, 3.4, and 14) were higher as compared to 2018 (MAX, all in ppb and (SD) = 40.9, (1.4); 103.9, (3.3); 123.8, (14), respectively). The data capture rate for these chemicals were between 88 and 97% in both years. During the months following Hurricane Harvey (August–December 2017) there was an increase in most maximum values. The yearly averages for H₂S were 0.68 ppb (SD 1.02) in 2017 and 0.53 ppb (SD 1.07) in 2018. Missing days were observed for both the H₂S and NOx air monitors, with the highest number observed in 2017 (213 missing days) for the air monitor measuring H₂S. We identified that residents of Beaumont, Texas are exposed daily to low-level concentrations of air pollutants. H₂S is released each day at a level high enough to be smelled. Data capture rates for air monitors are not always above 90%. Improved air quality data and disaster preparations are needed in Beaumont, Texas.

Heavy Metal Accumulation, Tissue Injury, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammation in Dromedary Camels Living near Petroleum Industry Sites in Saudi Arabia

The petroleum industry can impact the environment and human health. Heavy metals (HMs), including lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), and vanadium (V), are toxic pollutants found in petroleum that can cause several severe diseases. This study investigated the impact of the oil industry on the Arabian camel (Camelus dromedarius) in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia, pointing to HMs accumulation, tissue injury, redox imbalance, inflammation, and apoptosis. Soil and camel samples (milk, blood, muscle, liver, and kidney) were collected from a site near an oil industry field and another two sites to analyze HMs. Pb, Cd, Ni, and V were increased in the soil and in the camel’s milk, blood, muscle, liver, and kidney at the polluted site. Serum aminotransferases, urea, and creatinine were elevated, and histopathological alterations were observed in the liver and kidney of camels at the oil industry site. Hepatic and renal lipid peroxidation, pro-inflammatory cytokines, Bax, and caspase-3 were increased, whereas cellular antioxidants and Bcl-2 declined in camels at the oil extraction site. In conclusion, the oil industry caused soil and tissue accumulation of HMs, liver and kidney injury, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in camels living close to the oil extraction site. These findings pinpoint the negative impact of the oil industry on the environment, animal, and human health.

The effect of exposure to crude oil on the immune system. Health implications for people living near oil exploration activities

People who reside near oil exploration activities may be exposed to toxins from gas flares or oil spills. The impact of such exposures on the human immune system has not been fully investigated. In this review, research investigating the effects of crude oil on the immune system is evaluated. The aim was to obtain a greater understanding of the possible immunological impact of living near oil exploration activities. In animals, the effect of exposure to crude oil on the immune system depends on the species, dose, exposure route, and type of oil. Important observations included; hematological changes resulting in anemia and alterations in white blood cell numbers, lymph node and splenic atrophy, genotoxicity in immune cells, modulation of cytokine gene expression and increased susceptibility to infectious diseases. In humans, there are reports that exposure to crude oil can increase the risk of developing certain types of cancer and cause immunomodulation.Abbreviations: A1AT: alpha-1 antitrypsin; ACH₅₀: hemolytic activity of the alternative pathway; AHR: aryl hydrocarbon receptor; BALF: bronchoalveolar lavage fluid; COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CYP: cytochrome P450; DNFB: 2, 4-dinitro-1-fluorobenzene; G-CSF: granulocyte-colony stimulating factor; IFN: interferon; IL: interleukin; 8-IP: 8-isoprostane; ISG15: interferon stimulated gene; LPO: lipid peroxidation; LTB₄: leukotriene B₄; M-CSF: macrophage-colony stimulating factor; MMC: melanomacrophage center; MPV: mean platelet volume; NK: natural killer; OSPM: oil sail particulate matter; PAH: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon; PBMC: peripheral blood mononuclear cell; PCV: packed cell volume; RBC: red blood cell; ROS: reactive oxygen species; RR: relative risk; T_H: T helper; TNF: tumour necrosis factor; UV: ultraviolet; VNNV: Viral Nervous Necrosis Virus; WBC: white blood cell.

Remediation of Petroleum-Contaminated Soils with Microbial and Microbial Combined Methods: Advances, Mechanisms, and Challenges

The petroleum industry’s development has been supported by the demand for petroleum and its by-products. During extraction and transportation, however, oil will leak into the soil, destroying the structure and quality of the soil and even harming the health of plants and humans. Scientists are researching and developing remediation techniques to repair and re-control the afflicted environment due to the health risks and social implications of petroleum hydrocarbon contamination. Remediation of soil contamination produced by petroleum hydrocarbons, on the other hand, is a difficult and time-consuming job. Microbial remediation is a focus for soil remediation because of its convenience of use, lack of secondary contamination, and low cost. This review lists the types and capacities of microorganisms that have been investigated to degrade petroleum hydrocarbons. However, investigations have revealed that a single microbial remediation faces difficulties, such as inconsistent remediation effects and substantial environmental consequences. It is necessary to understand the composition and source of pollutants, the metabolic genes and pathways of microbial degradation of petroleum pollutants, and the internal and external aspects that influence remediation in order to select the optimal remediation treatment strategy. This review compares the degradation abilities of microbial–physical, chemical, and other combination remediation methods, and highlights the degradation capabilities and processes of the greatest microbe-biochar, microbe–nutrition, and microbe–plant technologies. This helps in evaluating and forecasting the chemical behavior of contaminants with both short- and long-term consequences. Although there are integrated remediation strategies for the removal of petroleum hydrocarbons, practical remediation remains difficult. The sources and quantities of petroleum pollutants, as well as their impacts on soil, plants, and humans, are discussed in this article. Following that, the focus shifted to the microbiological technique of degrading petroleum pollutants and the mechanism of the combined microbial method. Finally, the limitations of existing integrated microbiological techniques are highlighted.

Micro RNA (miRNA) Differential Expression and Exposure to Crude-Oil-Related Compounds

This review summarizes studies on miRNA differential regulation related to exposure to crude oil and 20 different crude oil chemicals, such as hydrocarbons, sulphur, nitrogen, and metal- containing compounds. It may be interesting to explore the possibility of using early post-transcriptional regulators as a potential novel exposure biomarker.

Crude oil has been defined as a highly complex mixture of solids, liquids, and gases. Given the toxicological properties of the petroleum components, its extraction and elaboration processes represent high-risk activities for the environment and human health, especially when accidental spills occur. The effects on human health of short-term exposure to petroleum are well known, but chronic exposure effects may variate depending on the exposure type (i.e., work, clean-up activities, or nearby residence).

As only two studies are focused on miRNA differential expression after crude-oil exposure, this review will also analyse the bibliography concerning different crude-oil or Petroleum-Related Compounds (PRC) exposure in Animalia L. kingdom and how it is related to differential miRNA transcript levels. Papers include in vitro, animal, and human studies across the world.

A list of 10 miRNAs (miR-142-5p, miR-126-3p, miR-24-3p, miR-451a, miR-16-5p, miR-28-5p, let-7b-5p, miR-320b, miR-27a-3p and miR-346) was created based on bibliography analysis and hypothesised as a possible “footprint” for crude-oil exposure. miRNA differential regulation can be considered a Big-Data related challenge, so different statistical programs and bioinformatics tools were used to have a better understanding of the biological significate of the most interesting data.

Respiratory health, pulmonary function and local engagement in urban communities near oil development

BACKGROUND

Modern oil development frequently occurs in close proximity to human populations. Los Angeles, California is home to the largest urban oil field in the country with thousands of active oil and gas wells in very close proximity to homes, schools and parks, yet few studies have investigated potential health impacts. The neighborhoods along the Las Cienagas oil fields are situated in South LA, densely populated by predominantly low-income Black and Latinx families, many of whom are primarily Spanish-speakers.

METHODS

A cross-sectional community-based study was conducted between January 2017 and August 2019 among residents living <1000 m from two oil wells (one active, one idle) in the Las Cienagas oil field. We collected self-reported acute health symptoms and measured FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in the first second of exhalation) and FVC (forced vital capacity). We related lung function measures to distance and direction from an oil and gas development site using generalized linear models adjusted for covariates.

RESULTS

A total of 961 residents from two neighborhoods participated, the majority of whom identify as Latinx. Participants near active oil development reported significantly higher prevalence of wheezing, eye and nose irritation, sore throat and dizziness in the past 2 weeks. Among 747 valid spirometry tests, we observe that living near (less than 200 m) of oil operations was associated with, on average, -112 mL lower FEV1 (95% CI: -213, -10) and -128 mL lower FVC (95% CI: -252, -5) compared to residents living more than 200 m from the sites after adjustments for covariates, including age, sex, height, proximity to freeway, asthma status and smoking status. When accounting for predominant wind direction and proximity, we observe that residents living downwind and less than 200 m from oil operations have, on average, -414 mL lower FEV1 (95% CI: -636, -191) and -400 mL lower FVC (95% CI: -652, -147) compared to residents living upwind and more than 200 m from the wells.

CONCLUSIONS

Living nearby and downwind of urban oil and gas development sites is associated with lower lung function among residents, which may contribute to environmental health disparities.

Geospatial assessment of oil spill pollution in the Niger Delta of Nigeria: An evidence-based evaluation of causes and potential remedies

Based on the archival data on oil facilities, oil spill incidents, and environmental conditions, we researched the plausible causes of oil spill disasters in the Niger Delta of Nigeria between 2006 and 2019. The data were analyzed for geospatial and statistical patterns, using ArcGIS and R programming platforms, respectively. A fuzzy logic algorithm was employed to generate three oil spill disaster models (hazard, vulnerability, and risk). Ordinary Least Square algorithm was adopted to model the relationships between oil spill and two sets of predictor variables: oil facilities (oil well, flow station, and pipeline) and disaster models. We found that, during the 23 years, the Niger Delta experienced 7940 oil spill incidents, of which 67% occurred onshore. A total of 4,950, 501, 855 episodes were attributed to sabotage, corrosion, and equipment failure, with 87%, 62%, and 45% occurring onshore, respectively. Besides, 81% of the 5320 onshore oil spill cases were attributed to sabotage, while corrosion and equipment failure accounted for mere 6% and 7% of the incidents, respectively. The estimated average risk index (R = 0.20) shows that the risk of an oil spill disaster in the Niger Delta is low. Whereas, 5% of the region is characterized by a high risk of oil spill disaster. Furthermore, the regression model infers that the oil spillages exhibit a positive relationship with disaster models and oil facilities at α = 0.10. However, only 16% of the incidents were explained by disaster models, while the oil facilities account for 23% of the total cases, indicating the influence of other factors. To avert further socio-environmental damage in the Niger-Delta, oil theft and sabotage should be curbed, polluted areas are remediated, and an all-inclusive socio-economic development is prioritized.

Macroporous Oil-Sorbents with a High Absorption Capacity and High-Temperature Tolerance Prepared through Cryo-Polymerization

The facile preparation and admirable performance of macro-porous poly(lauryl acrylate)-based oil-sorbents for organic solvents and oils are reported in this manuscript. Cryo-polymerizations of lauryl acrylate (LA) with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as the cross-linker were carried out at temperatures below the freezing point of the polymerization mixture. The polymerization medium and pore-forming agent was 1,4-dioxane. The influences of the total monomer concentration, EGDMA content and cryo-polymerization temperature on the structure of the obtained P(LA-co-EGDMA) cryogels were investigated with the techniques of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, contact angle measurement and thermo-gravimetric analysis. Through the modulation of the crosslinking density and porosity of these cryogels, the P(LA-co-EGDMA) oil-sorbents demonstrated a high absorption capacity for organic solvents and oils, recyclability and high-temperature tolerance. The absorption capacity reached 20-21 and 16-17 g/g for toluene and gasoline oil, respectively. Those fabricated sorbents survived high temperatures up to 150 °C without any change in absorption capacity as well as porosity. Considering the convenient synthesis process and absorption performance, the present work offers a remarkable opportunity to bring polymer cryogels to practical application in waste oil clean-up.

Impact of upstream oil extraction and environmental public health: A review of the evidence

Upstream oil extraction, which includes exploration and operation to bring crude oil to the surface, frequently occurs near human populations. There are approximately 40,000 oil fields globally and 6 million people that live or work nearby. Oil extraction can impact local soil, water, and air, which in turn can influence community health. As oil resources are increasingly being extracted near human populations, we highlight the current scope of scientific knowledge regarding potential community health impacts with the aim to help identify scientific gaps and inform policy discussions surrounding oil drilling operations. In this review, we assess the wide range of both direct and indirect impacts that oil drilling operations can have on human health, with specific emphasis on understanding the body of scientific literature to assess potential environmental and health risks to residents living near active onshore oil extraction sites. From an initial literature search capturing 2236 studies, we identified 22 human studies, including 5 occupational studies, 5 animal studies, 6 experimental studies and 31 oil drilling-related exposure studies relevant to the scope of this review. The current evidence suggests potential health impacts due to exposure to upstream oil extraction, such as cancer, liver damage, immunodeficiency, and neurological symptoms. Adverse impacts to soil, air, and water quality in oil drilling regions were also identified. Improved characterization of exposures by community health studies and further study of the chemical mixtures associated with oil extraction will be critical to determining the full range of health risks to communities living near oil extraction.

First evidences of Amazonian wildlife feeding on petroleum-contaminated soils: A new exposure route to petrogenic compounds?

Videos recorded with infrared camera traps placed in petroleum contaminated areas of the Peruvian Amazon have shown that four wildlife species, the most important for indigenous peoples' diet (lowland tapir, paca, red-brocket deer and collared peccary), consume oil-contaminated soils and water. Further research is needed to clarify whether Amazonian wildlife's geophagy can be a route of exposure to petrogenic contamination for populations living in the vicinity of oil extraction areas and relying on subsistence hunting.

Oil pollution in soils and sediments from the Northern Peruvian Amazon

Oil has been extracted from the Northern Peruvian Amazon for over four decades. However, few scientific studies have assessed the impacts of such activities in the environment and health of indigenous communities in the region. We have investigated the occurrence of petrogenic hydrocarbon pollution in soils and sediments from areas favoured as hunting or fishing grounds by local indigenous inhabitants. The study was conducted in one of the most productive oil blocks in Peru, located in the headwaters of the Amazon river. Soils and river sediments, in the vicinity of oil extraction and processing infrastructure, contained an oil pollution signature as attested by the occurrence of hopanes and steranes. Given the lack of any other significant source of oil pollution in the region, the sources of hydrocarbons are likely to be the activities of the oil industry in the oil block, from voluntary discharges or accidental spills. Spillage of produced water was commonplace until 2009. Moreover, petrogenic compounds were absent in control samples in sites far removed from any oil infrastructure in the oil block. Our findings suggest that wildlife and indigenous populations in this region of the Amazon are exposed to the ingestion of oil polluted soils and sediments. The data obtained supports previous claims that the local spillage of oil and produced waters in the water courses in the Corrientes and Pastaza basins could have eventually reached the main water course of the Amazon.

Water contamination from oil extraction activities in Northern Peruvian Amazonian rivers

Oil extraction activities in the Northern Peruvian Amazon have generated a long-standing socio-environmental conflict between oil companies, governmental authorities and indigenous communities, partly derived from the discharge of produced waters containing high amounts of heavy metals and hydrocarbons. To assess the impact of produced waters discharges we conducted a meta-analysis of 2951 river water and 652 produced water chemical analyses from governmental institutions and oil companies reports, collected in four Amazonian river basins (Marañon, Tigre, Corrientes and Pastaza) and their tributaries. Produced water discharges had much higher concentrations of chloride, barium, cadmium and lead than are typically found in fresh waters, resulting in the widespread contamination of the natural water courses. A significant number of water samples had levels of cadmium, barium, hexavalent chromium and lead that did not meet Peruvian and international water standards. Our study shows that spillage of produced water in Peruvian Amazon rivers placed at risk indigenous population and wildlife during several decades. Furthermore, the impact of such activities in the headwaters of the Amazon extended well beyond the boundaries of oil concessions and national borders, which should be taken into consideration when evaluating large scale anthropogenic impacts in the Amazon.