Hazards of Oil Dispersants

Viewing the video and reading the article about the effects of the oil spill and chemical dispersants was an eye opener to the condition of the Gulf of Mexico and the animals living there. The statistics displayed by Susan Shaw showed just how many toxins we are actually in contact with daily (and it wasn't pretty). According to the University of Georgia, as stated in the Time Magazine article, the oil that was thought to have dissolved could still be out there under the surface, polluting the ocean water. Neither of these were comfortable concepts to think about. In the case of dealing with with the oil, dealing with it created an even larger problem, because the dispersants used to dissolve the oil have only created a more toxic combination. The oil itself was worse than the chemical dispersants, because it would stick to and coat the wildlife, while the dispersants alone did less harm. Together, however, they are extremely toxic.