Figure 9: Major symptoms experienced by oil spill clean-up workers engaged in the Deepwater Horizon clean up along the coast of Louisiana following exposure to oil spill and dispersant

myeloma, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma were also confirmed. Positive associations with exposure to benzene were also observed for chronic myeloid leukaemia and for lung cancer in several studies [Loomis, 2017].

Ethylbenzene has been evaluated as a Group 2B carcinogen (possibly carcinogenic to humans) based on the findings that there is inadequate evidence in humans for carcinogenicity but sufficient evidence in experimental animals [IARC, 2000; ATSDR, 2010b]. Toluene has been categorized by IARC as Group 3 (not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity in humans) with a supporting statement that there is inadequate evidence in humans and that available evidence suggest a lack of carcinogenicity of toluene in experimental animals [IARC, 1999; EPA, 2005].

Xylenes have also been categorized by IARC as Group 3 [IARC, 1999; ATSDR, 2007].

Of the PAHs found in crude oil, benzo[a]pyrene is carcinogenic to humans (Group 1) [IARC, 2010] (see IARC 2010 for discussion of other PAHs).

Figure 9: Major symptoms experienced by oil spill clean-up workers engaged in the Deepwater Horizon clean up along the coast of Louisiana following exposure to oil spill and dispersant