Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons pp 139–165Cite as

Impact of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons on Human Health

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Abstract

Exposure to oil and oil products either directly or indirectly causes severe health issues in humans, and the effects are principally dependent on the nature of contact with the oil spill. Direct exposures include breathing contaminated air (volatile fractions which are emitted as gases) and direct contact with the skin (while walking in contaminated areas). Indirect exposures to oil are due to bathing in contaminated water and eating contaminated food. Human health is badly affected by the contamination of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs), and the effects depend largely on the type of site (land, river, and ocean) of oil spilled. Other contributing factors that affect the human health upon oil exposure include the kind and extent of exposure. Cleaning workers at the oil spill site are at greater risk. Health disorders include skin and eye irritation, breathing and neurologic problems, and stress. TPHs have a strong impact on mental health and induce physical/physiological effects, and they are potentially toxic to genetic, immune, and endocrine systems. Even though the long-term effects of TPHs in humans are not fully understood yet, certain symptoms may persist for some years of postexposure period. Thus, health protection in TPHs-exposed individuals is a matter of serious concern. Health risk assessments have the greatest impact in enabling the detection of any potential exposure-related harmful effects either at the time of exposure or for prolonged periods following the exposure. In this direction, the present chapter provides comprehensive insights into understanding the effects of TPHs on human health.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   99.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Abdel-Shafy HI, Mansour MSM (2016) A review on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: source, environmental impact, effect on human health and remediation. Egypt J Pet 25:107–123

    Google Scholar 

  • Abedin Z, Louis-Juste M, Stangl M, Field J (2013) The role of base excision repair genes OGG1, APN1 and APN2 in benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dione induced p53 mutagenesis. Mutat Res 750:121–128

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Aguilera F, Méndez J, Pásaro E, Laffon B (2010) Review on the effects of exposure to spilled oils on human health. J Appl Toxicol 30:291–301

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Alexander G (2000) Health risk appraisal. Int Electron J Health Educ 3(Special):133–137

    Google Scholar 

  • ATSDR (1995) Toxicological profile for naphthalene (update). Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Public Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta

    Google Scholar 

  • ATSDR (2018) Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry. Toxic substances portal – Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH). Toxicological profile for total petroleum hydrocarbons. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ToxProfiles/TP.asp?id=424&tid=75#bookmark10. Accessed 2 Feb 2019

  • Baker K, DeJoy D, Wilson M (2007) Using online health risk assessments. J Empl Assist 37:27–36

    Google Scholar 

  • Bartholomew JC, Salmon AG, Gamper SH, Calvin M (1975) Benzo(a)pyrene effects on mouse epithelial cells in culture. Cancer Res 35:851–856

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bosch X (2003) Exposure to oil spill has detrimental effect on clean-up workers´ health. Lancet 361:147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buja A (2011) Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. https://www.healthandenvironment.org/docs/ToxipediaPAHArchive.pdf. Accessed 21 Apr 2019

  • Campbell D, Cox D, Crum J, Foster K, Christie P, Brewster D (1993) Initial effects of the grounding of the tanker Braer on health in Shetland. The Shetland Health Study Group. BMJ 307:1251–1255

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cherng SH, Lin ST, Lee H (1996) Modulatory effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on the mutagenicity of 1-nitropyrene: a structure-activity relationship study. Mutat Res 367:177–185

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Conor G (2017) World – oil spills in Nigeria could kill 16,000 babies a year. https://www.newsweek.com/nigeria-oil-oil-spills-neonatal-mortality-702506. Accessed 2 Feb 2019

  • D’Andrea MA, Reddy GK (2014) Crude oil spill exposure and human health risks. J Occup Environ Med 56:1029–1041

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davila DR, Davis DP, Campbell K, Cambier JC, Zigmond LA, Burchiel SW (1995) Role of alterations in Ca2+-associated signaling pathways in the immunotoxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. J Toxicol Environ Health A45:101–126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Celis R, Feria-Velasco A, Gonzalez-Unzaga M, Torres-Calleja J, Pedron-Nuevo N (2000) Semen quality of workers occupationally exposed to hydrocarbons. Fertil Steril 73:221–228

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duan L, Naidu R, Liu Y, Dong Z, Mallavarapu M, Herde P, Kuchel T, Semple KT (2016) Comparison of oral bioavailability of benzo[a]pyrene in soils using rat and swine and the implications for human health risk assessment. Environ Int 94:95–102

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Franco SS, Nardocci AC, Günther WMR (2008) PAH biomarkers for human health risk assessment: a review of the state-of-the-art. Cad Saude Publica 24:569–580

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gestal OJJ, Smyth CE, Figueiras GA, Montes MA (2004) Recollida e limpeza do fuel do Prestige. Avaliación da exposición e danos a saúde en voluntarios e traballadores. Área de Medicina Preventiva e Saúde Pública da Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela

    Google Scholar 

  • Gina S (2010) Oil spills and human health: lessons from history. https://grist.org/article/oil-spills-and-human-health-lessons-from-history/. Accessed 15 Feb 2019

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldstein BD, Osofsky HJ, Lichtveld MY (2011) The Gulf oil spill. N Engl J Med 364:1334–1348

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Grattan LM, Roberts S, Mahan WT Jr, McLaughlin PK, Otwell WS, Morris JG Jr (2011) The early psychological impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on Florida and Alabama communities. Environ Health Perspect 119:838–843

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hurtig AK, San M (2004) Incidence of childhood leukemia and oil exploitation in the Amazon basin of Ecuador. Int J Occup Environ Health 10:245–250

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jaligama S, Chen Z, Saravia J, Yadav N, Lomnicki SM, Dugas TR, Cormier SA (2015) Exposure to Deepwater horizon crude oil burnoff particulate matter induces pulmonary inflammation and alters adaptive immune response. Environ Sci Technol 49:8769–8776

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Janjua NZ, Kasi PM, Nawaz H, Farooqui SZ, Khuwaja UB, Najam-ul-Hassan, Jafri SN, Lutfi SA, Kadir MM, Sathiakumar N (2006) Acute health effects of the Tasman Spirit oil spill on residents of Karachi, Pakistan. BMC Public Health 6:84, doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-6-84

  • Ji K, Seo J, Liu X, Lee J, Lee S, Lee W, Park J, Khim JS, Hong S, Choi Y, Shim WJ, Takeda S, Giesy JP, Choi K (2011) Genotoxicity and endocrine-disruption potentials of sediment near an oil spill site: two years after the Hebei Spirit oil spill. Environ Sci Technol 45:7481–7488

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jinot J, Bayard S (1996) Respiratory health effects of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. Rev Environ Health 11:89–100

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kalé ZK, Andrea C, Iyenemi IK, Donna VS, Wendy HB (2015) Petroleum contaminated water and health symptoms: a cross-sectional pilot study in a rural Nigerian community. Environ Health 14:86

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kassie F, Anderson LB, Scherber R, Yu N, Lahti D, Upadhyaya P, Hecht SS (2007) Indole-3-carbinol inhibits 4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone plus benzo(a)pyrene-induced lung tumorigenesis in A/J mice and modulates carcinogen-induced alterations in protein levels. Cancer Res 67:6502–6511

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kim K-H, Jahan SA, Kabir E, Brown RJC (2013a) A review of airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their human health effects. Environ Int 60:71–80

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kim Y-M, Park J-H, Choi K, Noh SR, Choi Y-H, Cheong H-K (2013b) Burden of disease attributable to the Hebei Spirit oil spill in Taean, Korea. BMJ Open 3:e003334

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laffon B, Aguilera F, Ríos-Vázquez J, García-Lestón J, Fuchs D, Valdiglesias V, Pásaro E (2013) Endocrine and immunological parameters in individuals involved in Prestige spill cleanup tasks seven years after the exposure. Environ Int 59:103–111

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lim J, Lawson GW, Nakamura BN, Ortiz L, Hur JA, Kavanagh TJ, Luderer U (2013) Glutathione-deficient mice have increased sensitivity to transplacental benzo(a)pyrene-induced premature ovarian failure and ovarian tumorigenesis. Cancer Res 73:908–917

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lin CK, Hung HY, Christiani DC, Forastiere F, Lin RT (2017) Lung cancer mortality of residents living near petrochemical industrial complexes: a meta-analysis. Environ Health 16:101

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Linet MS, Yin SN, Gilbert ES, Dores GM, Hayes RB, Vermeulen R, Tian HY, Lan Q, Portengen L, Ji BT, Li GL, Rothman N (2015) A retrospective cohort study of cause-specific mortality and incidence of hematopoietic malignancies in Chinese benzene-exposed workers. Int J Cancer 137:2184–2197

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu Y-Z, Roy-Engel AM, Baddoo MC, Flemington EK, Wang G, Wang H (2016) The impact of oil spill to lung health – Insights from an RNA-seq study of human airway epithelial cells. Gene 578:38–51

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu X, Jung D, Zhou K, Lee S, Noh K, Khim JS, Giesy JP, Yim UH, Shim WJ, Choi K (2018) Characterization of endocrine disruption potentials of coastal sediments of Taean, Korea employing H295R and MVLN assays – Reconnaissance at 5 years after Hebei Spirit oil spill. Mar Pollut Bull 127:264–272

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lodovici M, Luceri C, Guglielmi F, Bacci C, Akpan V, Fonnesu ML, Boddi V, Dolara P (2004) Benzo(a)pyrene diolepoxide (BPDE)-DNA adduct levels in leukocytes of smokers in relation to polymorphism of CYP1A1, GSTM1, GSTP1, GSTT1, and mEH. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 13:1342–1348

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lyons RA, Temple JM, Evans D, Fone DL, Palmer SR (1999) Acute health effects of the Sea Empress oil spill. J Epidemiol Community Health 53:306–310

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Maddela NR, Masabanda M, Leiva-Mora M (2015) Novel diesel-oil degrading bacteria and fungi from Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest. Water Sci Technol 71:1554–1561

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martín CA, Yi Z, Jaeho L, Hyunsuk K, Yue L, Yoko T, Melissa SS, Sally G, Jianjun S, Aldaz CM (2016) DMBA induced mouse mammary tumors display high incidence of activating Pik3caH1047 and loss of function Pten mutations. Oncotarget 7:64289–64299

    Google Scholar 

  • McNutt MK, Chu S, Lubchenco J, Hunter T, Dreyfus G, Murawski SA, Kennedy DM (2012) Applications of science and engineering to quantify and control the deepwater horizon oil spill. Proc Natl Acad Sci 109:20222–20228

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mentz G, Robins TG, Batterman S, Naidoo RN (2018) Acute respiratory symptoms associated with short term fluctuations in ambient pollutants among schoolchildren in Durban, South Africa. Environ Pollut 233:529–539

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Merhi ZO (2010) Gulf Coast oil disaster: impact on human reproduction. Fertil Steril 94:1575–1577

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Michael SH, Dana P, Nicholas DA, John F, Diane S (1996) Beyond TPH: health-based evaluation of petroleum hydrocarbon exposures. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 24:85–101

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ng SP, Conklin DJ, Bhatnagar A, Bolanowski DD, Lyon J, Zelikoff JT (2009) Prenatal exposure to cigarette smoke induces diet- and sex-dependent dyslipidemia and weight gain in adult murine offspring. Environ Health Perspect 117:1042–1048

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • NOAA (2006) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, spill containment methods. https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/oil-and-chemical-spills/oil-spills/spill-containment-methods.html. Accessed 2 Feb 2019

  • Olof L, Jonas P (2013) Oil contamination in Ogoniland, Niger Delta. Ambio 42:685–701

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Orta-Martinez M, Rosell-Mele A, Cartro-Sabate M, O’Callaghan-Gordo C, Moraleda-Cibrian N, Mayor P (2018) First evidences of Amazonian wildlife feeding on petroleum-contaminated soils: a new exposure route to petrogenic compounds? Environ Res 160:514–517

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Palinkas LA, Petterson JS, Russell J, Downs MA (1993) Community patterns of psychiatric disorders after the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Am J Psychiatry 150:1517–1523

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Park I-S, Park J-W (2010) A novel total petroleum hydrocarbon fractionation strategy for human health risk assessment for petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated site management. J Hazard Mater 179:1128–1135

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Perera FP, Tang D, Tu YH, Cruz LA, Borjas M, Bernert T, Whyatt RM (2004) Biomarkers in maternal and newborn blood indicate heightened fetal susceptibility to procarcinogenic DNA damage. Environ Health Perspect 112:1133–1136

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Perez-Pereira M, Tinajero C, Rodriguez MS, Peralbo M, Sabucedo JM (2012) Academic effects of the Prestige oil spill disaster. Span J Psychol 15:1055–1068

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • RBCA (2014) Risk-based corrective action tool kit for chemical releases. https://www.gsi-net.com/en/software/rbca-software-tool-kit-for-chemical-releases-version-2-6.html. Accessed 29 Jan 2019

  • Rodríguez-Trigo G, Zock J-P, Pozo-Rodríguez F, Gómez FP, Monyarch G, Bouso L, Coll MD, Verea HC, Antó JM, Fuster C, Barberà JA, SEPAR-Prestige Study Group (2010) Health changes in fishermen 2 years after clean-up of the Prestige oil spill. Ann Intern Med 153:489–498

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sabucedo JM, Arce C, Senra C, Seoane G, Vázquez I (2010) Symptomatic profile and health-related quality of life affected by the Prestige catastrophe. Disasters 34:809–820

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • San M, Armstrong B, Cordoba JA, Stephens C (2001) Exposures and cancer incidence near oil fields in the Amazon basin of Ecuador. Occup Environ Med 58:517–522

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sara ML (2009) Chevron fights massive lawsuit in Ecuador. https://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Living-Green/2009/0529/chevron-fights-massive-lawsuit-in-ecuador. Accessed Mar 2019

  • Sathiakumar N, Delzell E, Cole P, Brill I, Frisch J, Spivey G (1995) A case-control study of leukemia among petroleum workers. J Occup Environ Med 37:1269–1277

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schvoerer C, Gourier-Frery C, Ledrans M, Germonneau P, Derrien J, Prat M, et al (2000) Etude épidémologique des troubles de santé survenus à court terme chez les personnes ayant participè au nettoyage des sites pollués par le fioul de l’Erika. Available from: http://www.invs.sante.fr/publications/erika3/rapmaree_dist.pdf

  • Steven D (2015) Amazon Watch Blog – Chevron’s “Amazon Chernobyl” in Ecuador: the real irrefutable truths about the company’s toxic dumping and fraud. https://chevroninecuador.org/news-and-multimedia/2015/0527-chevrons-amazon-chernobyl-in-ecuador-the-real-irrefutable-truths. Accessed 25 Mar 2019

  • Strelitz J, Engel LS, Kwok RK, Miller AK, Blair A, Sandler DP (2018) Deepwater Horizon oil spill exposures and nonfatal myocardial infarction in the Gulf study. Environ Health 17:69

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swartjes FA, Rutgers M, Lijzen JPA, Janssen PJCM, Otte PF, Wintersen A, Brand E, Posthuma L (2012) State of the art of contaminated site management in The Netherlands: policy framework and risk assessment tools. Sci Total Environ 427–428:1–10

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tasker TL, Burgos WD, Piotrowski P, Castillo-Meza L, Blewett TA, Ganow KB, Stallworth A, Delompré PLM, Goss GG, Fowler LB, Vanden Heuvel JP, Dorman F, Warner NR (2018) Environmental and human health impacts of spreading oil and gas wastewater on roads. Environ Sci Technol 52:7081–7091

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Toxic (2014) Toxic substances portal – gasoline, automotive. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/MMG/MMG.asp?id=465&tid=83. Accessed 15 Feb 2019

  • Valdiglesias V, Kilic G, Costa C, Amor-Carro O, Marinas-Pardo L, Ramos-Barbon D, Mendez J, Pasaro E, Laffon B (2012) In vivo genotoxicity assessment in rats exposed to Prestige-like oil by inhalation. J Toxicol Environ Health A 75:756–764

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang X-T, Miao Y, Zhang Y, Li Y-C, Wu M-H, Yu G (2013) Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in urban soils of the megacity Shanghai: occurrence, source apportionment and potential human health risk. Sci Total Environ 447:80–89

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Weinhold B (2010) Emergency responder health: what have we learned from past disasters? Environ Health Perspect 118:a346–a350

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang C, Zhang X (1991) Incidence survey of leukemia in China. Chin Med Sci J 6:65–70

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yen L, McDonald T, Hirschland D, Edington DW (2003) Association between wellness score from a health risk appraisal and prospective medical claims costs. J Occup Environ Med 45:1049–1057

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yusuf S, Hawken S, Ôunpuu S, Dans T, Avezum A, Lanas F, McQueen M, Budaj A, Pais P, Varigos J, Lisheng L (2004) Effect of potentially modifiable risk factors associated with myocardial infarction in 52 countries (the interheart study): case-control study. Lancet 364:937–952

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Z, Yan X, Gao F, Thai P, Wang H, Chen D, Zhou L, Gong D, Li Q, Morawska L, Wang B (2018) Emission and health risk assessment of volatile organic compounds in various processes of a petroleum refinery in the Pearl River Delta, China. Environ Pollut 238:452–461

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zock JP, Rodríguez-Trigo G, Pozo-Rodríguez F, Barberà JA, Bouso L, Torralba Y, Antó JM, Gómez FP, Fuster C, Verea H, SEPAR-Prestige Study Group (2007) Prolonged respiratory symptoms in clean-up workers of the Prestige oil spill. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 176:610–616

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Environmental Studies, Anna University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

    Saranya Kuppusamy

  2. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud y Departamento de investigación, Universidad Técnica de Manabí, Portoviejo, Manabí, Ecuador

    Naga Raju Maddela

  3. Global Centre for Environmental Remediation, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia

    Mallavarapu Megharaj

  4. Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, India

    Kadiyala Venkateswarlu

Authors
  1. Saranya Kuppusamy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Naga Raju Maddela
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mallavarapu Megharaj
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Kadiyala Venkateswarlu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Kuppusamy, S., Maddela, N.R., Megharaj, M., Venkateswarlu, K. (2020). Impact of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons on Human Health. In: Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-24035-6_6

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation