Dispersant Made Oil 50 Times More Toxic To Gulf Microorganisms

[wtmusic]

"The massive amounts of oil that spilled into the Gulf of Mexico after BP’s Deepwater Horizon drill rig exploded was devastating to marine life, but the dispersant used in the aftermath to try and break down the oil slicks may have been even worse for some species, according to new research done by scientists with the Georgia Institute of Technology and Universidad Autonoma de Aguascalientes, Mexico.

Based on laboratory toxicity tests, the study found that the oil-dispersant mix was up to 52 times more toxic to tiny rotifers, microscopic grazers at the base of the Gulf’s food chain.

The researchers tested a mix oil from the spill and Corexit, the dispersant required by the Environmental Protection Agency for clean up, on five strains of rotifers. Rotifers have long been used by ecotoxicologists to assess toxicity in marine waters because of their fast response time, ease of use in tests and sensitivity to toxicants."

http://summitcountyvoice.com/2012/12/01/environment-new-study-shows-dispersant-makes-oil-up-to-52-times-more-toxic-to-gulf-of-mexico-microorganisms/

[kestrel91316]

1. This makes me ill. I LOVE rotifers - they are SO important and so fascinating.

If I hadn't become a veterinarian I might well have gone on to be a rotifer biologist.

[stuntcat]

2. k&r

sharing, ty