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Community reappraisal of the perceived health effects of a petroleum refinery

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  • Luginaah, Isaac N.
  • Martin Taylor, S.
  • Elliott, Susan J.
  • Eyles, John D.

Abstract

This paper presents results from a study of the community health impacts of a petroleum refinery in Oakville, Ontario in Canada. The research is informed by the environmental stress and coping literatures and the focus is on community reappraisal of the refinery's impacts before and after the implementation of a substantive odour reduction initiative on the part of the refinery operators. Community health surveys were conducted in 1992 (n=391) and 1997 (n=427) to examine changes in odour perception and annoyance and self-reported health status attributable to the odour reduction plan. The findings reported here suggest an on-going process of cognitive reappraisal, whereby negative perceptions and concerns decreased between 1992 and 1997. Irrespective of this positive reappraisal of the refinery efforts, those living close to the refinery continue to report negative health impacts. A strong mediating effect of odours on the refinery exposure-symptom reporting relationship was confirmed by our results. While the relationship between odour perception and symptom reporting indicates the importance of odour perception and annoyance as the principal mechanism mediating ill-health reporting, the plausibility of other causal pathways is recognized. Residents' sensitivity to the negative effects of the refinery on their health and the health of their children suggests a psychosocial reaction to the environmental stress associated with perceived and actual refinery emissions.

Suggested Citation

  • Luginaah, Isaac N. & Martin Taylor, S. & Elliott, Susan J. & Eyles, John D., 2002. "Community reappraisal of the perceived health effects of a petroleum refinery," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 55(1), pages 47-61, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:55:y:2002:i:1:p:47-61
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    Cited by:

    1. Séverine Deguen & Claire Ségala & Gaëlle Pédrono & Mounir Mesbah, 2012. "A New Air Quality Perception Scale for Global Assessment of Air Pollution Health Effects," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 32(12), pages 2043-2054, December.
    2. Magda Brattoli & Antonio Mazzone & Roberto Giua & Giorgio Assennato & Gianluigi De Gennaro, 2016. "Automated Collection of Real-Time Alerts of Citizens as a Useful Tool to Continuously Monitor Malodorous Emissions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-11, February.
    3. Allison Williams & Peter Kitchen, 2012. "Sense of Place and Health in Hamilton, Ontario: A Case Study," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 108(2), pages 257-276, September.
    4. Miguel Ángel López‐Navarro & Vicente Tortosa‐Edo & Jaume Llorens‐Monzonís, 2015. "Environmental Management Systems and Local Community Perceptions: the Case of Petrochemical Complexes Located in Ports," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(4), pages 236-251, May.
    5. Larry O. Awo & Enebi Y. Atanu & Anyahie A. Azunwo & George Duru, 2019. "Psychological Effects of Soot Pollution on Academic Functional Capacity," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 3(1), pages 332-336, January.
    6. Theresa Krüger & Thomas Kraus & Andrea Kaifie, 2022. "A Changing Home: A Cross-Sectional Study on Environmental Degradation, Resettlement and Psychological Distress in a Western German Coal-Mining Region," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-23, June.
    7. Gösta Axelsson & Leo Stockfelt & Eva Andersson & Anita Gidlof-Gunnarsson & Gerd Sallsten & Lars Barregard, 2013. "Annoyance and Worry in a Petrochemical Industrial Area—Prevalence, Time Trends and Risk Indicators," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-21, April.
    8. Walker, Chad & Baxter, Jamie & Ouellette, Danielle, 2015. "Adding insult to injury: The development of psychosocial stress in Ontario wind turbine communities," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 358-365.
    9. Branden B. Johnson, 2004. "Risk Comparisons, Conflict, and Risk Acceptability Claims," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 24(1), pages 131-145, February.
    10. Magdalena Wojnarowska & Mariusz Sołtysik & Adam Sagan & Jadwiga Stobiecka & Jarosław Plichta & Grażyna Plichta, 2020. "Impact of Odor Nuisance on Preferred Place of Residence," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-19, April.
    11. Jerome Nriagu & Emilia A. Udofia & Ibanga Ekong & Godwin Ebuk, 2016. "Health Risks Associated with Oil Pollution in the Niger Delta, Nigeria," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-23, March.
    12. Mohamed Eltarkawe & Shelly Miller, 2019. "Industrial Odor Source Identification Based on Wind Direction and Social Participation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-18, April.
    13. Shankardass, Ketan & Robertson, Colin & Shaughnessy, Krystelle & Sykora, Martin & Feick, Rob, 2019. "A unified ecological framework for studying effects of digital places on well-being," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 227(C), pages 119-127.
    14. Dominic Odwa Atari & Isaac N. Luginaah & Karen Fung, 2009. "The Relationship between Odour Annoyance Scores and Modelled Ambient Air Pollution in Sarnia, “Chemical Valley”, Ontario," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 6(10), pages 1-21, October.
    15. Malcolm P. Cutchin & Kathryn Remmes Martin & Steven V. Owen & James S. Goodwin, 2008. "Concern About Petrochemical Health Risk Before and After a Refinery Explosion," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(3), pages 589-601, June.
    16. Oiamo, Tor H. & Luginaah, Isaac N. & Baxter, Jamie, 2015. "Cumulative effects of noise and odour annoyances on environmental and health related quality of life," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 191-203.
    17. Mohamed A. Eltarkawe & Shelly L. Miller, 2018. "The Impact of Industrial Odors on the Subjective Well-Being of Communities in Colorado," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-24, May.
    18. Mirosław Szyłak-Szydłowski, 2021. "Evaluation of Inoculated Waste Biological Stabilization Degree by Olfactometric Methods," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-15, March.
    19. Mmari, Kristin & Blum, Robert & Sonenstein, Freya & Marshall, Beth & Brahmbhatt, Heena & Venables, Emily & Delany-Moretlwe, Sinead & Lou, Chaohua & Gao, Ershang & Acharya, Rajib & Jejeebhoy, Shireen &, 2014. "Adolescents' perceptions of health from disadvantaged urban communities: Findings from the WAVE study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 124-132.
    20. Patthanasak Khammaneechan & Kamolnetr Okanurak & Pornchai Sithisarankul & Kraichat Tantrakarnapa & Poonsup Norramit, 2011. "Community concerns about a healthcare-waste incinerator," Journal of Risk Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(7), pages 847-858, August.
    21. Piyapong Janmaimool & Tsunemi Watanabe, 2014. "Evaluating Determinants of Environmental Risk Perception for Risk Management in Contaminated Sites," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-23, June.

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