The following paragraph jumped out at me in R.P. Seigel's piece in the Huffington Post about the Corexit dispersant:
The chemicals in them can linger in the water for decades, especially when used in deep water, where low temperatures can inhibit bio-degradation. The use of this chemical was responsible for the collapse of the herring fishery in Alaska after the Exxon Valdez. What is so counterproductive about this is the fact that this chemical will also kill the very micro-organisms that would otherwise naturally break down the oil.
So the dispersant creates tiny globules of oil. The micro-organisms are supposed to biodegrade globules. But the dispersant also kills the micro-organisms. Meanwhile, whichever oil-eating organisms aren't killed by the dispersant will be subsequently eaten by larger animals -- animals that are threatened by both the dispersant, the oil and the micro-organisms that ingested the oil. Essentially, any underwater life will be surrounded by poison.
Scientists say bacteria, plankton and other tiny, bottom-feeding creatures will consume oil and will then be eaten by small fish, crabs and shrimp. They, in turn, will be eaten by bigger fish, such as red snapper, and marine mammals such as dolphins.
The petroleum substances that concentrate in the sea creatures could kill them or render them unsafe for eating, scientists say.
"If the oil settles on the bottom, it will kill the smaller organisms like the copepods and small worms," Montagna said. "When we lose the forage, then you have an impact on the larger fish."
That's just the impact of the oil alone. Add the dispersant to the cocktail and it sounds much, much worse.
By the way, we haven't even worked our way up to the impact of the dispersant on humans.
Via reader Mike