Socio-environmental and psychosocial impacts caused by oil spills on Artisanal Fisherwomen and Fishermen

Silva, Luiz Rons Caúla; Pessoa, Vanira Matos; Meireles, Antônio Jeovah de Andrade

doi:10.1590/2358-28982024E18513I

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ORIGINAL ARTICLE • Saúde debate 48 (spe1) • Aug 2024 • https://doi.org/10.1590/2358-28982024E18513I copy

Socio-environmental and psychosocial impacts caused by oil spills on Artisanal Fisherwomen and Fishermen

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

ABSTRACT

In August 2019, eleven Brazilian states were hit by an extensive oil spill. In this context: what are the main socio-environmental and psychosocial impacts caused by the oil spill on the lives of families and individuals who make their living from artisanal fishing? This is a research with mixed methods that used the following techniques: focus group and application of forms developed in a participatory manner with communities at the mouth of the Jaguaribe River, Ceará, and applied between July and August 2020. Its application was selected from a non-probabilistic sampling of the intentional type by judgment and was processed with the support of the IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. The results indicate environmental impacts, such as: finding oil in the river and in animals; direct human exposure to oil; health symptoms after exposure; psychological effects; consumption of food resources such as fish and shellfish; and reduction in the income of Artisanal Fishermen and Fisherwomen. That way, it is understood that the lives, environment, health, and work of these populations were aggravated, especially those of socioeconomic, food and water security, and health orders.

KEYWORDS
Oil pollution; Environmental health; Mental health; Occupational health; Coastal zone.

Variables	ƒ	%
Communities (n = 89)
Jardim	23	25.8
Volta	20	22.5
Quilombo do Cumbe	18	20.2
Guajiru	17	19.1
Sítio Canavieira	10	11.2
Pontal do Maceió	1	1.1

Variables	ƒ	%
Have you seen oil slicks in your municipality? (n = 89)
Yes	78	87.6
No	8	9
Does not know	3	3.4
Month in which you saw oil slicks or residue in your community (n = 78)
August 2019?
Yes	28	35.9
No	48	61.5
DWA	2	2.6
September 2019?
Yes	29	37.2
No	47	60.3
DWA	2	2.6
October 2019?
Yes	25	31.1
No	51	65.4
DWA	2	2.6
November 2019?
Yes	10	12.8
No	66	84.6
DWA	2	2.6
December 2019?
Yes	8	10.3
No	68	87.2
DWA	2	2.6
Where did you see oil slicks or residue? (n = 78)
On the beach sand?
Yes	39	50
No	39	50
In the sea?
Yes	5	6.4
No	73	93.6
In Jaguaribe River?
Yes	44	56.4
No	34	43.6
In the mangrove forest?
Yes	10	12.8
No	68	87.2
On rocky shores?
Yes	1	1.3
No	77	98.7
On sandstone reefs?
Yes	1	1.3
No	77	98.7
Did you see any animals affected or killed by oil??
Yes	68	76.4
No	12	13.5
DWA	9	10.1
Animals affected or killed by the oil (n = 68)
Only fish	30	44.1
Only turtles	8	11.8
Turtles, fish and shellfish	7	10.3
Only shellfish	2	2.9
Fish and shellfish	2	2.9
Turtles and fish	1	1.5
DWA	18	26.5

Variables	f	%
Did you come in direct contact with the oil? (n = 89)
Yes	63	70.8
No	23	25.8
DWA	3	3.4
Did you come into contact with the oil while fishing? (n = 63)
Yes	58	92.1
No	5	7.9
Did you come into contact with oil while helping to clean up the beaches? (n = 63)
Yes	10	15.9
No	53	84.1
Did you come into contact with the oil while enjoying your leisure time at the beach or river? (n = 63)
Yes	4	6.3
No	59	93.7
How many times did you come into contact with the oil? (n = 63)
Only once	11	17.5
2 to 5 times	16	25.4
6 to 10 times	14	22.2
More than 10 times	9	14.3
If exposed, how long were you in direct contact with the oil? (hours/day)? (n = 63)
1 hour	6	9.5
2 hours	22	34.9
3 hours	10	15.9
4 hours	4	6.3
More than 4 hours	5	7.9
Does not know	16	25.4

Variables	f	%
Got in contact with the oil (n = 89)
Guajirú (n = 17)
Yes	17		100
No	0		0
DWA	0		0
Cumbe (n = 18)
Yes	8		44
No	10		56
DWA	0		0
Volta (n = 20)
Yes	20		100
No	0		0
DWA	0		0
Sítio Canavieira (n = 10)
Yes	0		0
No	9		90
DWA	1		10
Jardim (n = 23)
Yes	17		73.9
No	4		17.4
DWA	2		8.7
Pontal do Maceió (n = 1)
Yes	1		100
No	0		0
DWA	0		0
Exposed individuals who felt health effects (n = 48)
Guajirú (n = 17)
Yes	16		94.1
No	1	5.9
Cumbe (n = 8)
Yes	5	62.5
No	3	37.5
Volta (n = 20)
Yes	15	75
No	5	25
Jardim (n = 17)
Yes	12	70.5
No	5	29.5
Pontal do Maceió (n = 1)
Yes	0	0
No	1	100
Did you feel any effect on your health after coming into contact with the oil? (n = 63)
Yes	48	76.2
No	15	23.8
Did you seek any health services after exposure and the effects on your health? (n = 48)
Yes	18	37.5
No	19	39.6
DWA	11	22.9
Physical symptoms after exposure (n = 48)
Pruritus and redness
Yes	31	64.6
No	17	35.4
Headache
Yes	12	25
No	36	75
Nausea
Yes	4	8.3
No	44	91.7
Dizziness
Yes	3	6.3
No	45	93.8
Sore throat
Yes	2	4.2
No	46	95.8
Between August and December 2019, did you experience changes in your psychological state as a result of the oil spill? (n = 89)
Yes	60	67.4
No	16	18
DWA	13	14.6
Psychological symptoms after exposure (n = 60)
Nervousness and stress
Yes	19	31.7
No	41	68.3
Insomnia
Yes	19	31.7
No	41	68.3
Sadness
Yes	19	31.7
No	41	68.3
Not in the mood to work
Yes	18	30
No	42	70
Crying more than usual
Yes	15	25
No	45	75
Lack of appetite
Yes	4	6.7
No	56	93.3
Difficulties to make decisions
Yes	2	3.3
No	58	96.7

Variables	f	%
Loss of income for your family between August and December 2019 (n = 89)
Yes	86	96.6
No	0	0
DWA	3	3.4
How much has your individual income decreased? (n = 89)
Up to R$ 100.00	7	8.1
R$ 100.00 to R$ 300.00	42	48.8
R$ 301.00 to R$ 500.00	22	25.6
R$ 501.00 to R$ 1,000.00	11	12.8
DWA	4	4.7
Did you receive any emergency aid because of the oil spill? (n = 89)
Yes	2	2.2
No	76	85.4
DWA	11	12.4
Did you worry that food would run out before you had time to buy, receive or produce more food? (n = 89)
Yes	86	96.6
No	0	0
Does not know	3	3.4
Number of days reported with concerns about not being able to buy, receive or produce more food for their family
Almost everyday	69	80.2
Only one or two days	14	16.3
Does not know	3	3.4
Did you consume the food fished between August and December 2019? (n = 89)
Yes	66	74.2
No	20	22.5
DWA	3	3.3
Type of fish consumed between August and December 2019 (n = 66)
Freshwater fish from the Jaguaribe River
Yes	14	21.2
No	52	78.8
Saltwater fish
Yes	54	81.8
No	12	18.2
Crab
Yes	39	59.1
No	27	40.9
Oyster
Yes	30	45.5
No	36	54.5
Charru mussel
Yes	60	90.9
No	6	9.1
Shrimp
Yes	38	57.6
No	28	42.4
Lobster
Yes	2	3
No	64	97

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[1] Conflict of interests: non-existent