The Oil Spill’s Effect on Children and Families

By the time the Deepwater Horizon oil well was capped on July 15, 2010, an estimated 3 to 5 million barrels of oil had spilled into the Gulf of Mexico. The report provides preliminary findings on the oil spill’s immediate and perceived long-term effects on children and families.

According to the report, over 40 percent of the population living within 10 miles of the coast had experienced exposure to the oil spill. One-third of parents reported that their children had experienced either physical symptoms (e.g., respiratory distress or skin irritation), or mental health distress as a consequence of the oil spill. Additionally, families who made less than $25,000 a year were more likely to think they had to move and more likely to report physical and mental health effects among their children.

The study was released in August 2010 by the National Center for Disaster Preparedness, a resource center at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. The academically-based center is dedicated to studying and enhancing the nation’s ability to prepare for and respond to major disasters.
 

Read the report.