Table 3.
Maximum ordinal total hydrocarbon exposure levels and lung function among Deepwater Horizon disaster response and clean-up workers with 2 acceptable FEV1 and FVC curves (n=6,288)
| Lung function | THc Level (ppm) | n (%) | Mean differences (95% CI)* | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FEV1, mL | ||||
| Level 1 (≤0.29) | 913(14.52) | Ref | Ref | |
| Level 2 (0.30–0.99) | 2334(37.12) | −5(−49, 38) | 0.81 | |
| Level 3 (1.00–2.99) | 2113(33.60) | 36(−9, 81) | 0.12 | |
| Level 4 (≥3.00) | 928(14.76) | −17(−70, 36) | 0.53 | |
| FVC, mL | ||||
| Level 1 (≤0.29) | 913(14.52) | Ref | Ref | |
| Level 2 (0.30–0.99) | 2334(37.12) | 2(−49, 52) | 0.95 | |
| Level 3 (1.00–2.99) | 2113(33.60) | 40(−12, 93) | 0.13 | |
| Level 4 (≥3.00) | 928(14.76) | 15(−46, 77) | 0.62 | |
| FEV1/FVC% | ||||
| Level 1 (≤0.29) | 913(14.52) | Ref | Ref | |
| Level 2 (0.30–0.99) | 2334(37.12) | −0.07(−0.58, 0.44) | 0.79 | |
| Level 3 (1.00–2.99) | 2113(33.60) | 0.19(−0.35, 0.72) | 0.49 | |
| Level 4 (≥3.00) | 928(14.76) | −0.62(−1.25, 0.003) | 0.05 | |
Abbreviations: THc Level, maximum ordinal total hydrocarbon exposure level, ppm, parts per million; CI, confidence interval
*
Model adjusted for: age, height, height2, weight, gender, ethnicity, race, pre-spill diabetes, pre-spill lung disease, education, employment, other oil industry experience, previous oil spill clean-up, residential proximity to Gulf Coast, smoking, and secondhand smoke