The Basics: Oil Spill Dispersants

[Nathanael]

An overview of what oil dispersants do:


A ton of oil dispersants have been used recently in the attempted clean up of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Aside from a good ole' fashioned attempt at covering up the leak with a massive dome, these dispersants are one of the primary attempts to contain/clean up the surface spill.

Since such a large volume of these chemicals are being deployed in the Gulf, we thought it best to keep our readers up to speed and just what this stuff is. Nature estimates that at least 325,000 gallons of two types of surface dispersants have been used -- Corexit 9500 and Corexit EC9527A. Sounds lovely.


Link: http://www.energyboom.com/emerging/basics-oil-spill-dispersants

[FBI_Un_Sub]

1. Corexit is not totally benign

See the tox study at Link to pdf

[Karenina]

2. My understanding is that it's the most toxic AND

least effective made by a company with which they have financial ties. It was used to "clean up" the Exxon-Valdez and left residents with long-term health problems I CANNOT BELIEVE they got approval for it; our species is too stupid to continue.