{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,23]],"date-time":"2024-05-23T19:10:46Z","timestamp":1716491446595},"reference-count":13,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"4","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Occup Environ Med"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2001,4,1]]},"abstract":"OBJECTIVES<\/jats:title>To gather enough data from a large scale investigation involving two health authorities, to assess the possible concentrations and routes of exposure and the consequent health implications.To use the data to decide whether a polluted beach should remain open to the public. In Spring 1997, a chemical incident came to light at a beach on the south coast of England when a local resident reported a sulphurous smell, visible signs of oil, and reduced numbers of fishing bait. The beach was situated adjacent to a former gasworks site and was accessible to the public. The incident was reported to the local authority and was initially investigated by the Environment Agency and the local authority. An Environment Agency report confirmed contamination of the beach with cyanide, ammonia, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with associated potential health risks. The incident was then referred to the local health authorities for investigation.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>METHODS<\/jats:title>The investigation was carried out in four stages: comprehensive sampling and analysis to identify the extent of contamination, followed by an assessment of risk to health; establishment of a long term monitoring programme to identify any changes in contaminant concentrations; investigation of the effects of the contamination on shellfish; and review of the routine monitoring data and current sampling strategy.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>RESULTS<\/jats:title>The initial investigation confirmed that the beach was contaminated, with the most likely source being the adjacent former gasworks site. The level of contamination was not found to be likely to pose a hazard to users of the beach. However, subsequent investigation of shellfish in the area led to warning signs being erected on the beach to prevent human consumption of mussels contaminated with PAHs.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>CONCLUSIONS<\/jats:title>Several lessons can be learnt from this investigation, which can be applied to incident management more generally: the importance of collaboration and coordination; the need for early involvement of the health authority; and the importance of carrying out appropriate sampling and analysis as soon as possible, to assess the risk to health and the environment.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1136\/oem.58.4.232","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2002,7,27]],"date-time":"2002-07-27T10:38:40Z","timestamp":1027766320000},"page":"232-238","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Public health response to an incident of secondary chemical contamination at a beach in the United Kingdom"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"58","author":[{"given":"F J L","family":"Goodfellow","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"V S G","family":"Murray","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"S K","family":"Ouki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"A","family":"Iversen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"A","family":"Sparks","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"T","family":"Bartlett","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2001,4,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"2024052310495453000_58.4.232.1","unstructured":"NHS Management Executive. (1993) Public health: responsibilities of the NHS and the roles of others. (NHS, Leeds) . (HSG(93)56.)."},{"key":"2024052310495453000_58.4.232.2","unstructured":"NHS Executive (1998) Chemical incidents. NHS Executive. Planning for Major incidents\u00e2\u0080\u0094the NHS guidance. (NHS Executive, London), pp 97\u00e2\u0080\u0093118."},{"key":"2024052310495453000_58.4.232.3","unstructured":"(1996) 19th Royal Commission report on environmental pollution. (HMSO, February, London) . (Cm 3165.)."},{"key":"2024052310495453000_58.4.232.4","unstructured":"Department of Environment (1995) Gas works, coke works, and other coal carbonisation plants. (Department of Environment, London) . (Industry profile sponsored by the contaminated land and liabilities division).."},{"key":"2024052310495453000_58.4.232.5","unstructured":"Grey I (1998) Potential pollution arising from former gas works, Shoreham Harbour, results of environmental monitoring. (Environment Agency, January, Sussex, UK)."},{"key":"2024052310495453000_58.4.232.6","unstructured":"Interdepartmental Committee on the Redevelopment of Contaminated Land (1987) Guidance on the assessment and redevelopment of contaminated land (Department of Environment, July, London), 2nd ed.."},{"key":"2024052310495453000_58.4.232.7","unstructured":"Croner (1996) Substances hazardous to the environment. (Croner, June, Kingston, Surrey)."},{"key":"2024052310495453000_58.4.232.8","unstructured":"World Health Organisation (1996) Guidelines for drinking water quality (WHO, Geneva), 2nd edition.."},{"key":"2024052310495453000_58.4.232.9","unstructured":"Farrow C Wheeler H Bates N , eds (2000) The chemical incident management handbook. (The Stationary Office, London)."},{"key":"2024052310495453000_58.4.232.10","unstructured":"Hathaway GJ Proctor NH Hughes JP (1996) Proctor and Hughes' chemical hazards of the workplace (Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York), 4th ed.."},{"key":"2024052310495453000_58.4.232.11","unstructured":"Grant MW Schuman JS (1993) Toxicology of the eye (Charles C Thomas, Springfield, CA), 4th ed.."},{"key":"2024052310495453000_58.4.232.12","unstructured":"(1997) TOMES Plus System. Vol 33. (Micromedex, Englewood, Colorado)."},{"key":"2024052310495453000_58.4.232.13","first-page":"2","article-title":"Identifying chemical water incidents in the published literature.","volume":"8","author":"Oliver","year":"1998","journal-title":"Chemical Incident Report"}],"container-title":["Occupational and Environmental Medicine"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/syndication.highwire.org\/content\/doi\/10.1136\/oem.58.4.232","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,23]],"date-time":"2024-05-23T18:50:08Z","timestamp":1716490208000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/oem.bmj.com\/lookup\/doi\/10.1136\/oem.58.4.232"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2001,4,1]]},"references-count":13,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2001,4,1]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2001,4,1]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1136\/oem.58.4.232"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/oem.58.4.232","relation":{},"ISSN":["1351-0711","1470-7926"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1351-0711","type":"print"},{"value":"1470-7926","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2001,4,1]]}}}