come into contact with land animals.It’s basically an application of the out of sight out of mind concept. Although the use of dispersants makes the oil disappear from the surface there is a great potential that they will expose the oils to marine life.
The effects of dispersants
There are no definitive assertions as to how these dispersants affect life, however Corexit 9500A, the dispersant used by BP, has been attributed to some quite severe effects. The toxicity of the petroleum in the Corexit is said to increase when exposed to water thus increasing the peril for fish and causing harm to them(“Gulf Oil Spill”). The oil is also said to increase the amount of fatalities of coral reef because the oil becomes more absorbable for them. There has even been reports that species as small as plankton have been exposed to the dispersants and have died from them which could cause a major effect on the food chain and hurt species as high as whales on the food chain (“Dispersants Make”).
Some of the effects have also been attributed to humans as well. There has been reports from residents who live near the Gulf that there has been “blood in their urine as well as kidney and liver disorders”(“Gulf Disaster”). Many of these reports have been attributed to the water in the Gulf of Mexico. Divers in these waters have even reported to have some of these symptoms as well ,though there has been no direct correlation found between these incidents and the Gulf’s waters. The Huffington Post compares it on to a horror film with the array of reports including “bleeding from the nose, ears, breasts, and even anus” (“Corexit Oil”).This has been very terrifying for some of the residents and those wishing to travel to such parts because of the numerous amount of incidents being reported.
The measures taken
Nalco, the company that is responsible for making Corexit 9500A, is very unwilling to release the ingredients in its dispersant. Nalco apparently has connections to the oil industry and is said to be associated with companies like Exxon and BP(“Gulf Disaster”). Knowing that Nalco is the maker of such products, many have sewed it because Corexit9500A allegedly caused many health injuries and health problems(“BP Oil”). In fact, the products were said to be banned from the United Kingdom in 1998. The Environmental Protection Agency issued that BP use a more effective and environmentally friendly product but did not willingly yield to such wishes although it did slow down its utilization of these products(“Gulf Disaster”).
Lets wait and see .
There is not much known about the Corexit due to the little information given therefore, no statements about the dispersants used by BP can be corroborated as true, but there is still research to be done and more to be found out the about these dispersants in the Gulf. The results were tragic and affected many,even those of different species. There would be no use for dispersant had the oil not been spilled and leaked into the Gulf. One can only hope that such an event does not happen again.
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