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The Gulf Oil Spill's Effects on Reproduction

The BP, or Deepwater Horizon, oil spill of April 2010 released an estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico and eventually covered hundreds of miles of coastline. The effects of the oil contamination on the reproduction of plants, animals and humans are not well documented, as of May 2011, as the long-term effects of this disaster will take several more years to fully comprehend. However, earlier studies on the effects of petroleum exposure and other contaminants contained in crude oil can offer insight to the possible consequences.

  1. Mutations in DNA and Pregnancy

    • Exposure to hydrocarbon -- a chief component of petroleum -- is known to cause mutations in DNA; however, these correlations to human reproduction remain unclear. Very few studies have investigated the relationship between petroleum exposure and the outcomes of pregnancy. The October 2010 issue of "Fertility and Sterility" called for an assessment of the risk of spontaneous abortions -- or miscarriages -- in women exposed to petroleum. The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico should lend itself to a well-designed inquiry of this relationship with women from the evacuated areas along the affected coast.

    Spontaneous Abortions

    • A report in the January 1998 issue of "Occupational and Environmental Medicine" assessed the association between exposure to petrochemicals and the risk of spontaneous abortions. The authors interviewed almost 3,000 women with occupational exposure to petrochemicals during their first trimester of pregnancy. Researchers found that the risk of spontaneous abortion increased by almost 9 percent for those exposed, contrasted with a control group. The authors concluded that exposure to benzene, gasoline and hydrogen sulfide were all linked to the incidence of spontaneous abortion.

    Exposure to Petrochemicals and Miscarriages

    • A study appearing in the June 1988 issue of the "International Journal of Epidemiology" investigated the effects of prolonged exposure to emissions of petrochemicals. Researchers interviewed women living near petrochemical facilities and who were pregnant at any time from 1963 until 1981. The study found that there was almost a 2 percent increase for miscarriages in the exposed areas. The study concluded, however, that the results do not imply that women with casual exposure to petrochemicals had an increased risk of miscarriage.

    Reproduction of Mussels

    • In November 2002, a Prestige oil spill dumped approximately 20 million gallons of crude oil, which washed up on thousands of miles of coast along Portugal, Spain and France. A report published in the January 2011 issue of the "Journal of Environmental Monitoring" investigated the long-term effects of this oil spill on the reproductive health of wild mussels. The authors reported that in 2003, there was a high prevalence of deformed eggs being produced by female mussels and by 2004, the eggs continued to be smaller than controls from unpolluted waters. The study concluded that by April 2004, the mussel population began a recovery trend.

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