Sunday, August 22, 2010

Hazards of Oil Dispersants

To put it frankly, we are poisoning our oceans with many different types of materials. But one of the biggest poisons are oil dispersants. Even though they are suppose to be helping our oceans by cleaning up oil, they might not be doing just that. These dispersants cause internal bleeding, and hurt the same organs oil does, such as nerves, kidneys, blood, and the liver. They also cause damage to gills, and cause chemical pneumonia. In fact, when mixed together, oil and certain dispersants (like corexit) are more toxic then when they are separate. Such as dispersants can break down lipid membranes, therefor making it easier for the oil to get into the organism. What makes matters even worse is the fact that the coral reefs will be hit the hardest, and they hold many endangered species. Also, when air breathing animals go above water to breathe, they breathe in toxic fumes. All of the dispersant's can cause birth defects, no matter how they get into the organism. So what we are basically trying to do is solve one problem, but in the process, we create an even bigger problem. That is possible because when we put the dispersants(supposedly the answer to the oil spill) we are creating an even more toxic mix.
I believe that corexit and other dispersant's are more dangerous than oil because they can seep into through your skin(as was previously stated) and damage an organism that way. They have petroleum, metal, and arsenic among other toxic ingredients that BP refuses to mention.

No comments:

Post a Comment