Let's take a glimpse at the specs of the chemical- more than 500,000 gallons have been dumped applied to the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Below the surface, robotic subs continue to spray the oil with additional chemicals. The underwater use of dispersant
has not yet been tested or approved.
According to The Guardian:
Until now, Corexit has been approved for surface use only.
Carys Mitchelmore, an environmental chemist at the University of Maryland Centre for Environmental Science and a co-author of a 2005 US National Academies report on dispersants, told Nature: "No one will tell you using dispersants won't have an effect. You're trading one species for another. The long-term effects are really unknown. The dispersant has inherent toxicity. And these oil droplets tend to be the same size as food particles for filter-feeding organisms."
"Dispersants… are toxic to marine life, so there are trade-offs to consider," David Pettit of the Natural Resources Defence Council told theWashington Post last week. "And just because humans can't see oil on the surface doesn't mean it's not still in the water column, affecting marine life from plankton to whales."
Another toxiciology expert, Dr William Sawyer, who has made a presentation to the US lawyers representing environmental and other interests after the spill has added to the concern: "The dispersants used in the BP clean-up efforts, known as Corexit 9500 and Corexit EC9527A, are also known as deodorized kerosene," he told the group. "With respect to marine toxicity and potential human health risks, studies of kerosene exposures strongly indicate potential health risks to volunteers, workers, sea turtles, dolphins, breathing reptiles and all species which need to surface for air exchanges, as well as birds and all other mammals. Additionally, I have considered marine species which surface for atmospheric inhalation such as sea turtles, dolphins and other species which are especially vulnerable to aspiration toxicity of Corexit 9500 into the lung while surfacing."
L.A. Times:
One 2006 study found oil droplets treated with a chemical dispersant didn't degrade nearly as fast when they were in very cold water and the water two kilometres deep is just above freezing.
The shrimpers are worried using dispersants at such a depth would guarantee it would spread the oil droplets and dispersant on the sea floor, where shrimp larvae and other organisms could be affected.
There are no federal standards for how much dispersant could be present in seafood consumed by humans, said Nancy Thompson, director of the Northeast Fisheries Science Centre under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Thompson has been dispatched to Mississippi to lead a NOAA team testing the effects of the spill and cleanup activities on fish.
L.A. Times:
One 2006 study found oil droplets treated with a chemical dispersant didn't degrade nearly as fast when they were in very cold water and the water two kilometres deep is just above freezing.
The shrimpers are worried using dispersants at such a depth would guarantee it would spread the oil droplets and dispersant on the sea floor, where shrimp larvae and other organisms could be affected.
There are no federal standards for how much dispersant could be present in seafood consumed by humans, said Nancy Thompson, director of the Northeast Fisheries Science Centre under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Thompson has been dispatched to Mississippi to lead a NOAA team testing the effects of the spill and cleanup activities on fish.
NALCO MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET
PRODUCT
COREXIT® EC9527A
HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION
**EMERGENCY OVERVIEW**
WARNING
Eye and skin irritant. Repeated or excessive exposure to butoxyethanol may cause injury to red blood cells
(hemolysis), kidney or the liver. Combustible.
Do not get in eyes, on skin, on clothing. Do not take internally. Use with adequate ventilation. Wear suitable
protective clothing. Keep container tightly closed. Flush affected area with water. Keep away from heat. Keep
away from sources of ignition - No smoking.
May evolve oxides of carbon (COx) under fire conditions.
SYMPTOMS OF EXPOSURE :
Acute :
Excessive exposure may cause central nervous system effects, nausea, vomiting, anesthetic or narcotic effects.
Chronic :
Repeated or excessive exposure to butoxyethanol may cause injury to red blood cells (hemolysis), kidney or the
liver.
CLEAN AIR ACT, Sec. 111 (40 CFR 60, Volatile Organic Compounds), Sec. 112 (40 CFR 61, Hazardous Air
Pollutants), Sec. 602 (40 CFR 82, Class I and II Ozone Depleting Substances)
Recommended equipment to handle the product:
RESPIRATORY PROTECTION :
Where concentrations in air may exceed the limits given in this section, the use of a half face filter mask or air
supplied breathing apparatus is recommended. A suitable filter material depends on the amount and type of
chemicals being handled. Consider the use of filter type: Multi-contaminant cartridge (Gold) with a Particulate pre-
filter (Purple). In event of emergency or planned entry into unknown concentrations a positive pressure, full-
facepiece SCBA should be used. If respiratory protection is required, institute a complete respiratory protection
program including selection, fit testing, training, maintenance and inspection.
HAND PROTECTION :
Neoprene gloves, Nitrile gloves, Butyl gloves, PVC gloves
SKIN PROTECTION :
Wear standard protective clothing.
EYE PROTECTION :
Wear chemical splash goggles.
HYGIENE RECOMMENDATIONS :
Keep an eye wash fountain available. Keep a safety shower available. If clothing is contaminated, remove clothing
and thoroughly wash the affected area. Launder contaminated clothing before reuse.
HUMAN EXPOSURE CHARACTERIZATION :
Based on our recommended product application and personal protective equipment, the potential human exposure
SAFETY DATA SHEET
PRODUCT
COREXIT® EC9500A
*EMERGENCY OVERVIEW**
CAUTION
May cause irritation with prolonged contact.
Keep away from heat. Keep away from sources of ignition - No smoking. Keep container tightly closed. Do not get in
eyes, on skin, on clothing. Do not take internally. Avoid breathing vapor. Use with adequate ventilation. In case of
contact with eyes, rinse immediately with plenty of water and seek medical advice. After contact with skin, wash
immediately with plenty of soap and water.
Wear suitable protective clothing.
Distillates, petroleum, hydrotreated light : Irritant
Propylene Glycol : Exposure Limit
Organic sulfonic acid salt : Irritant
CERCLA/SUPERFUND, 40 CFR 302 :
Notification of spills of this product is not required.
SARA/SUPERFUND AMENDMENTS AND REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 1986 (TITLE III) - SECTIONS 302, 311,
312, AND 313 :
SECTION 302 - EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES (40 CFR 355) :
This product does not contain substances listed in Appendix A and B as an Extremely Hazardous Substance.
SECTIONS 311 AND 312 - MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET REQUIREMENTS (40 CFR 370) :
Our hazard evaluation has found this product to be hazardous. The product should be reported under the following
indicated EPA hazard categories:
X Immediate (Acute) Health Hazard
"The Coast Guard and the Environmental Protection Agency said Friday that the decision to use subsea dispersants is an “important step” at reducing potential damage from the spill, because dispersant can be more effective underwater than on the ocean’s surface.
"The Coast Guard and the Environmental Protection Agency said Friday that the decision to use subsea dispersants is an “important step” at reducing potential damage from the spill, because dispersant can be more effective underwater than on the ocean’s surface.
Oil dispersants are chemicals that can break the oil down into small drops and prevent it from reaching the surface or the shore. Dispersants are generally less harmful than the oil itself, which is highly toxic, and they biodegrade more quickly, the Coast Guard said." ~ Chicago Press Release
Greenwire reported, adding that Nalco was once part of Exxon Mobil and still has interlocking leadership with Exxon Mobil and BP.
"Said EPA Administrator Jackson about the amount of dispersants used to control the impacts of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, “I think it’s fair to say that when it comes to this volume, we’re in uncharted waters.”
Any use inconsistent with our recommendations may affect the risk characterization.
According to BP "dispersants are working". BP Also announced 5/15 they will be using an additional new chemical dispersant, but I have not been able to locate the product on the web.
The problem with this grand experiment, is by using the chemical dispersant on such a grand scale, in a non approved/tested subsea application is they may be doing more harm than good. If they chemically break up & suppress oil from rising, it may just succeed in creating dead zones, or cause ocean floor blackouts that kill the core of the food chain. It seems to me that BP is wanting to spare themselves the embarrassment of those NASA satellite photos of just how big the oil spill is, by making it look smaller. Having the oil in smaller bits, chemically suspended may indeed just make matters worse.
The problem with this grand experiment, is by using the chemical dispersant on such a grand scale, in a non approved/tested subsea application is they may be doing more harm than good. If they chemically break up & suppress oil from rising, it may just succeed in creating dead zones, or cause ocean floor blackouts that kill the core of the food chain. It seems to me that BP is wanting to spare themselves the embarrassment of those NASA satellite photos of just how big the oil spill is, by making it look smaller. Having the oil in smaller bits, chemically suspended may indeed just make matters worse.
2 comments:
i think the execs from halliburton, transocean, and bp should be the first to swim in the gulf after all the crap they're throwing in there has been added. i hope they swallow a lot of water.
I heard an update from a Marine scientist (non oil industry) the dispersants are keeping the oil under the surface-- but he's finding pockets of underwater oil- the largest 10 miles long & 4 miles wide.
I know the oil was bad, but I think the chemicals actually make it worse.
Monumental screw up.
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