Community health impacts after a jet fuel leak contaminated a drinking water system: Oahu, Hawaii, November 2021.

BACKGROUND: In 2021, a large petroleum leak contaminated a water source that supplied drinking water to military and civilians in Oahu, Hawaii. METHODS: We conducted an Assessment of Chemical Exposures (ACE) survey and supplemented that information with complementary data sources: (1) poison center caller records; (2) emergency department visit data; and (3) a key informant questionnaire. RESULTS: Among 2,289 survey participants, 86% reported ≥1 new or worsening symptom, 75% of which lasted ≥30 days, and 37% sought medical care. Most (n = 1,653, 72%) reported new mental health symptoms. Among equally observable symptoms across age groups, proportions of children ≤2 years experiencing vomiting, runny nose, skin rashes, and coughing (33, 46, 56, and 35%, respectively) were higher than other age groups. Poison center calls increased the first 2 weeks after the contamination, while emergency department visits increased in early December 2021. Key informant interviews revealed themes of lack of support, mental health symptoms, and long-term health impact concerns. DISCUSSION: This event led to widespread exposure to petroleum products and negatively affected thousands of people. Follow-up health surveys or interventions should give special consideration to longer-term physical and mental health, especially children due to their unique sensitivity to environmental exposures.

Bicyclist Deaths Associated with Motor Vehicle Traffic - United States, 1975-2012.

Physical activity, including bicycling, is linked with multiple health benefits. However, although bicycles account for only about 1% of trips across all modes of transportation, on a per trip basis, bicyclists die on U.S. roads at a rate double that of vehicle occupants. In 2009, an estimated 392 billion trips (across all modes) were taken in the United States, including 4.1 billion bicycle trips, and 33,808 deaths occurred on U.S roadways (across all modes), including 630 bicyclist deaths. This report examines mortality trends among cyclists using national collision data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) for the period 1975-2012. Annual rates for cyclist mortality decreased 44%, from 0.41 to 0.23 deaths per 100,000 during this period, with the steepest decline among children aged <15 years. In recent years, reductions in cyclist deaths have slowed. However, age-specific cyclist mortality rates for adults aged 35-74 years have increased since 1975. Multifaceted approaches to bicyclist safety have been shown to be effective in increasing bicycling while decreasing traffic injuries and fatalities. With U.S. adults choosing to walk and cycle more, implementation of these approaches might help counter recent increases in adult cyclist deaths.