AFTERMATH OF A CHEMICAL SPILL - PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL SEQUELAE

Psychological, and psychophysiological sequelae were studied in a comm unity which had experienced a railroad chemical spill of 19,000 gallon s of the toxic pesticide metam sodium. Information was collected on 35 0 persons living in the area of the spill (spill residents) and 114 no nexposed controls, recruited using a randomized sampling strategy, fro m a nearby similar, but unexposed control town. Psychological measures used were the MMPI-2, POMS, IES Scale, Environmental Worry, Perceived Social Support and Perceived Control Scale. Physiological measurement s were two measurements of blood pressure, pulse, and salivary cortiso l level, taken both at the beginning and the conclusion of the study. Demographic and medical information was asked in a Questionnaire. Resu lts indicate greater levels of depression, anxiety, and somatic sympto ms in the spill residents in addition to greater environmental worry a nd lower perceived social support. Spill odor perception was related t o increased psychological and physiological sequelae. The spill reside nts had higher blood pressure and less fluctuation of cortisol levels than the controls. Comparison of spill residents who were litigants an d those who were not, indicates no differences for blood pressure, pul se, and cortisol, MMPI-2 Environmental Worry and the Control Scale. Li tigants scored slightly higher on the IES, Intrusion and the POMS scal es. No dose/response relationship between distance to the river and ev acuation status was obtained. The chemical spills was associated with a wide variety of psychological and physiological reactions. (C) 1994 Inter Press, Inc.