title: Environmental stress in the Gulf of Mexico and its potential impact on public health.
abstract: The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was the largest maritime oil spill in history resulting in the accumulation of genotoxic substances in the air, soil, and water. This has potential far-reaching health impacts on cleanup field workers and on the populations living in the contaminated coastal areas. We have employed portable airborne particulate matter samplers (SKC Biosampler Impinger) and a genetically engineered bacterial reporter system (umu-ChromoTest from EBPI) to determine levels of genotoxicity of air samples collected from highly contaminated areas of coastal Louisiana including Grand Isle, Port Fourchon, and Elmer's Island in the spring, summer and fall of 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. Air samples collected from a non-contaminated area, Sea Rim State Park, Texas, served as a control for background airborne genotoxic particles. In comparison to controls, air samples from the contaminated areas demonstrated highly significant increases in genotoxicity with the highest values registered during the month of July in 2011, 2013, and 2014, in all three locations. This seasonal trend was disrupted in 2012, when the highest genotoxicity values were detected in October, which correlated with hurricane Isaac landfall in late August of 2012, about five weeks before a routine collection of fall air samples. Our data demonstrate: (i) high levels of air genotoxicity in the monitored areas over last four years post DWH oil spill; (ii) airborne particulate genotoxicity peaks in summers and correlates with high temperatures and high humidity; and (iii) this seasonal trend was disrupted by the hurricane Isaac landfall, which further supports the concept of a continuous negative impact of the oil spill in this region.
authors.affiliation: Dillard University, to include Biology Department, School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, New Orleans, LA, United States. Electronic address: bsingleton@dillard.edu.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Singleton
authors.affiliation: University of Colorado Boulder, Department of Environmental Engineering, Boulder, CO, United States.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.affiliation: Dillard University, to include Biology Department, School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, New Orleans, LA, United States.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Walter
authors.affiliation: Dillard University, to include Biology Department, School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, New Orleans, LA, United States.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lathan
authors.affiliation: Dillard University, to include Biology Department, School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, New Orleans, LA, United States.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Thorpe
authors.affiliation: Dillard University, to include Biology Department, School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, New Orleans, LA, United States.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ogbevoen
authors.affiliation: Dillard University, to include Biology Department, School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, New Orleans, LA, United States.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Daye
authors.affiliation: Dillard University, to include Biology Department, School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, New Orleans, LA, United States.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Alcorn
authors.affiliation: Dillard University, to include Biology Department, School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, New Orleans, LA, United States.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: Dillard University, to include Biology Department, School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, New Orleans, LA, United States.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Semien
authors.affiliation: Dillard University, to include Biology Department, School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, New Orleans, LA, United States.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Richard
authors.affiliation: Dillard University, to include Biology Department, School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, New Orleans, LA, United States.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: University of Colorado Boulder, Department of Environmental Engineering, Boulder, CO, United States.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McCabe
authors.affiliation: Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Estrada
authors.affiliation: Louisiana State University, Department of Biological Sciences, Baton Rouge, LA, United States.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Galvez
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Department of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Velasco
authors.affiliation: Neurological Cancer Research, Department of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States; Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Reiss
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D060851:Gulf of America; D008145:Louisiana; D009153:Mutagens / Q000032:analysis*; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D059392:Petroleum Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012621:Seasons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D009153:Mutagens; D052638:Particulate Matter; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Air pollutants; Air sampling; DWH oil spill; Genotoxicity; Gulf of Mexico