Toxic chemicals threaten health of oil spill cleaup workers

Sunday, 27 June 2010 16:02

Oil Spill Cleanup Workers

More than half a million gallons of toxic chemical dispersants were dumped on the BP oil spill, much of it from aircraft, threatening the health and safety of unprotected oil spill cleanup workers.

If the toxic muck of spilled crude oil with its cancer-causing cocktail of compounds like such as benzene, toluene, and naphthalene were not enough, oil spill response workers now have to contend with the added threat of exposure to toxic oil spill dispersants sprayed from airplanes, helicopters, and boats, and even pumped directly into the Gulf near the site of the leaking well. The two main dispersants, COREXIT® EC9527A and COREXIT 9500 made by the Nalco Company in Naperville, Illinois were applied in unprecendented volume with little known about the long term effects of such extensive use.

Both COREXIT EC9527A and COREXIT 9500 contain solvents that are harmful to humans. One contains 30%-60% of the toxic chemical 2-butoxyethanol. The toxin can cause skin irritation, coughing, irritation of eyes, skin, nose, and throat; blood in the urine; headaches and depression of the central nervous system damage; and vomiting. Damage may be caused to eyes, skin, respiratory system, central nervous system, blood, kidneys, liver, and the lymphoid system as well.

The Environmental Protection Agency issued a directive to BP to find and employ a less toxic alternative, but in the meantime workers were exposed to the toxic dispersants.