Table 4.
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 and no exposure to burning oil/gas (n=5,603)
| Lung Function | THc Level (ppm) | n (%) | Mean differences (95% CI)* | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FEV1, mL | ||||
| Level 1 (≤0.29) | 893 (15.94) | Ref | Ref | |
| Level 2 (0.30–0.99) | 2271 (40.53) | −4 (−48, 40) | 0.86 | |
| Level 3 (1.00–2.99) | 2028 (36.19) | 37 (−9, 82) | 0.11 | |
| Level 4 (≥3.00) | 411 (7.34) | −12 (−79, 55) | 0.72 | |
| FVC, mL | ||||
| Level 1 (≤0.29) | 893 (15.94) | Ref | Ref | |
| Level 2 (0.30–0.99) | 2271 (40.53) | 5 (−46, 56) | 0.84 | |
| Level 3 (1.00–2.99) | 2028 (36.19) | 42 (−11, 95) | 0.12 | |
| Level 4 (≥3.00) | 411 (7.34) | 25 (−53, 102) | 0.53 | |
| FEV1/FVC% | ||||
| Level 1 (≤0.29) | 893 (15.94) | Ref | Ref | |
| Level 2 (0.30–0.99) | 2271 (40.53) | −0.09 (−0.61, 0.43) | 0.74 | |
| Level 3 (1.00–2.99) | 2028 (36.19) | 0.22 (−0.32, 0.76) | 0.43 | |
| Level 4 (≥3.00) | 411 (7.34) | −0.56 (−1.35, 0.23) | 0.17 | |
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, secondhand smoking