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Thursday, June 10, 2010

Corexit Sprayed By BP Tops One Million Gallons


BP's latest oil spill response update for June 4th says the total amount of the dispersant used in the Gulf of Mexico more than 1,021,000 gallons.

But what most people don't know is that the active ingredient of the toxic chemical dispersant, which is up to 60% by volume, being sprayed by BP to fight the Gulf oil spill is a neurotoxin pesticide that is acutely toxic to both human and aquatic life, causes cancer, causes damage to internal organs such as the liver and kidneys simply by absorbing it through the skin and may cause reproductive side effects.

In fact the neurotoxin pesticide that is lethal to 50% of life in concentrations as little as 2.6 parts per million has been banned for use in the UK since 1998 because it failed the UK "Rocky shore test" which assures that the dispersant does not cause a "significant deleterious ecological change" ­ or to put that in layman's terms it can kill off the entire food chain.

Corexit has also earned the highest EPA warning label for toxicity which means the effects of the toxic chemicals to the eye are corrosive resulting in irreversible destruction of ocular tissue and other tissue with corneal involvement along with an burning that can persist for more than 21 days and effects to human skin are corrosive resulting in tissue destruction into the dermis and/or scarring.

Corexit was widely used after the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill and according to a literature review performed by the group the Alaska Community Action on Toxics was later linked with widespread long lasting health impacts in people including respiratory, nervous system, liver, kidney and blood disorders.

The "Human Health Hazards" are said to be "Chronic" for Corexit EC9527A according to the EPA.

GO HERE to read more.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

The ONLY reason BP(and the Feds) are using this stuff is in hopes of "Out of sight, out of mind". The inane administration doesn't realize that this stuff is just as bad as the oil spilling into the gulf.

Anonymous said...

Yes they do, how much money they got invested in there man$$$$$$$$.

Anonymous said...

It was initially on the list of chemicals APPROVED by the EPA to use on the spill. So PB did get approval by a government agency to use it. EPA has since then asked BP to switch to something less toxic. Thanks EPA.

Anonymous said...

Just an extra precaution for BP to make sure they eliminate all the witnesses.