ATLANTA — When an Associated Press reporter went scuba diving in the oil-streaked Gulf of Mexico this month, people commenting on websites worried about his health. But at the same time, the oil sure didn't bother some beachgoers in Alabama.
"I was in the water two hours yesterday," said Robert Theil, a French visitor to Orange Beach, as his sister acted as translator. "I'm not worried. It would take a lot before it could hurt you."
Health officials say there seems to be little reason to worry at this point. But some note that health effects months or years from now remain a question mark, particularly for the workers who are in the thick of it, cleaning up oil from the BP spill in the Gulf.
Public health officials and scientists will take up the topic at a two-day meeting beginning Tuesday in New Orleans, organized by the Institute of Medicine at the request of the Department of Health and Human Services. The group will also talk about how best to watch for any potential problems.
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Photo by Dave Marin, Associated Press