The short-term and long-term effects of oil spill exposure on dyslipidemia: A prospective cohort study of Health Effects Research on the Hebei Spirit Oil Spill

The Hebei Spirit oil spill in 2007 was the largest marine oil spill in Korean history, releasing 10,900 tons of crude oil near residential areas. The spilled crude oil exposes residents near the spill site and people involved in the cleanup work to harmful organic crude oil compounds, such as volatile organic compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Although oil spill exposure has been linked to various health outcomes, its effects on lipid metabolism have not been well-addressed. To address this gap, this study aimed to assess both the short- and long-term associations between oil spill exposure and dyslipidemia among adult residents who participated in the Health Effects of the Hebei Spirit Oil Spill study. Oil spill exposure was assessed using the distance from the contaminated coast to the participants' residences and the duration of their participation in the cleanup work. Dyslipidemias were classified as follows: hyper total cholesterol (TC), hyper triglyceride (TG), hyper low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and hypo high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Cross-sectional analysis revealed positive associations between oil spill exposure and serum TC and LDL-C levels. Although no significant associations were found between the prevalence of abnormal lipid status, the 10-year follow-up demonstrated that a distinct exposure-response relationship with increasing oil spill exposure levels was linked to a higher incidence of hyper TC, hyper TG, hyper LDL-C, and dyslipidemia. These findings suggest that oil spill exposure may have long-term effects on lipid metabolism, highlighting the need for continued health monitoring and prevention strategies for residents living near spill sites.