And aside from the direct toxicity that the dispersants may have, they make the hydrocarbons in the oil more available to the marine organisms in the offshore water that were previously not exposed to much, since most of the hydrocarbons were concentrated above them at the surface.
> In > Ecotone, Josh Schimal responds to a question on long-term ecological > effects of the chemicals used during the Exxon Valdez cleanup, noting > that dispersants used were relatively short-lived (see below). However, > in a recent article, Abrahm Lustgarten (recipient of a MacArthur > Foundation grant for international reporting) notes that the dispersants > used by BP (which bought up a third of the world's supply) may have > long-term effects. > > > > > > Chemicals Meant To Break Up BP Oil Spill Present New Environmental > Concerns > by Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica - April 30, 2010 5:44 pm EDT > > > > > > > http://www.propublica.org/article/bp-gulf-oil-spill-dispersants-0430 > > > > > > Hope Woodward > Hyampom, CA > > > > > > > Q: There were > several chemicals used during the Exxon Valdez cleanup. How were they > used and did they work? Were there any long term ecological effects > from the chemicals? > > A (Josh Schimel): > At sea, they used dispersants. Those are likely relatively short-lived > in the environment, and given the flow patterns of the Sound, would be > flushed out to the south-west with the prevailing currents to be > diluted into the North Pacific Ocean. Their characteristics might also > make them somewhat biodegradable or photodegradable themselves. > > > --- On Mon, 5/3/10, Katie Kline <ka...@esa.org> wrote: > > From: Katie Kline <ka...@esa.org> > Subject: [ECOLOG-L] EcoTone: Q&A-Ecologists assess oil spill damage > To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU > Date: Monday, May 3, 2010, 12:27 PM > > An oil slick originating from a rig about 130 miles southeast of New > Orleans, which is dumping oil into the Gulf of Mexico at a rate of > approximately 25,000 barrels per day, is drifting toward the Alabama, > Florida and Louisiana coasts, and scientists are still assessing the > ecological impact that will result. In this Q&A, three members of the > Ecological Society of America's Rapid Response Team discuss the current > and possible future damage of this spill and the effects it could have on > the Gulf region. > > Read the full article and comment at > http://www.esa.org/esablog/ecology-in-policy/qa-ecologists-assess-oil-spill-damage/. > > > > >
