I live on the gulf coast and was around for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill….that spill that few want to remember thanx to the high price of gas…….I am sure that all my readers saw the horrific oil goo that was all over the estuaries and the oil sheen that covered much of the northern Gulf of Mexico……and now we have BP spending like a bitch to make everything appear to be okay and that life goes on and the peasants danced!
But sports fans, is everything okay?
A recent study has confirmed that toxic compounds derived from oil that was released in the Deepwater Horizon spill that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico nearly two years ago has entered the ocean’s food chain through microorganisms.
The study, funded by the National Science Foundation and led by a team of researchers from East Carolina University, the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Oregon State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, and the U.S. Geological Survey, detected chemical compounds found in oil called hydrocarbons, some known to be carcinogenic, within the bodies of microscopic crustaceans called zooplankton.
“Our research helped to determine a ‘fingerprint’ of the Deepwater Horizon spill–something that other researchers interested in the spill may be able to use,” Dr. Siddhartha Mitra of East Carolina University said in a statement. “Furthermore, our work demonstrated that zooplankton in the Northern Gulf of Mexico accumulated toxic compounds derived from the Macondo well.”
So now the question is….is the seafood truly okay to consume? And is everything truly okie-dokie in the waters of the northern Gulf?
“A recent study has confirmed that toxic compounds derived from oil that was released in the Deepwater Horizon spill that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico nearly two years ago has entered the ocean’s food chain through microorganisms”
This was the biggest long term concern about this spill. I’m glad to see that it is being brought to the forefront again and that people be made aware that they will suffer the consequences for years to come. This is a case where you cannot put the cats back in the bag.
Larry, BP is pushing hard to clean up their image….it is ggod that someone is looking long term and not t the short term profitability…..more drilling will give us more food change problems….sorry…..