Gulf Oil Toxicity ~ An Empowered Self-Reliant Healing Perspective Part 2
Chairman of the Energy and Environmental Subcommittee, Rep. Congressman Edward Markey told MSNBC on July 26th that BP made the Gulf “a toxic bowl” that will “haunt this region” for years.
The toxic soup of compounds released into the Gulf of Mexico waters, air and what has so far reached landfall can
damage every system in the body.
The respiratory, nervous (including the brain), reproductive/ urogenital, endocrine, circulatory, gastrointestinal, immune, sensory, musculoskeletal, hematopoietic (blood forming) systems can all be affected by one or more of the compounds as well as the metabolism and major organs such as the liver, kidneys and skin.
Crude oil has a complex chemical profile that constantly evolves as it ages. It contains a number of compounds that are carcinogenic and can alter the DNA. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as benzene, and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in “fresh” oil quickly evaporate from the ocean surface into the air.
Crude oil also contains various toxic heavy metals including arsenic and mercury and possibly, radioactive components.
Depending on their proximity to the oil leak, wind direction, wave action, and cleanup tasks being performed, BP Deepwater Horizon cleanup workers in the Gulf are potentially exposed to the Mississippi Canyon crude oil components n-hexane, naphthalene, benzene, ethyl benzene, toluene, and xylene; other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in dispersants and other oil spill remediation chemicals; methane, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide and other toxic gases; acid gases like sulfuric acid; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and particulates from diesel and gasoline engine exhaust and burning oil. Even this list is not exhaustive.
Is Rep. Markey’s comment “haunting” you yet? As if the oil itself wasn’t injurious enough, BP tried to hide the full visual impact of the oil catastrophe by spraying millions of gallons of toxic dispersants (Corexit) into the water and air and apparently over the coastal lands as well. This of course didn’t ‘get rid of’ the oil, it hid it under the surface of the water and subsequently is transmuting it into ‘something else.’
The complete chemical composition of the Corexit 9500 and 9527A dispersants used on the BP Gulf Oil leak are not fully disclosed by BP, siting proprietary discretion. However, just two of the several known ingredients included are again, the extremely toxic heavy metal arsenic, and 2-Butoxy Ethanol, or 2-BE. 2-BE is a devastating substance. In other industries it is used as a
neurotoxin pesticide
and as a
solvent
for resins, lacquers, varnishes, and enamels. The
listed health effects
alone include:
Skin and eye irritant from contact with possible eye damage.
Nose and throat irritant from inhalation with coughing and wheezing.
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain
Headache, dizziness, lightheadedness, and passing out.
Possible reproductive side effects
Possible damage to the liver and kidneys.
Possibly carcinogenic to humans since it has been shown to cause liver cancer in animals.
Do any of these health effects sound familiar?
Because 2-Butoxy Ethanol is a solvent, it’s not surprising that Corexit is a substance known to break down the lipid membranes that serve as the protective barriers of human skin and all cell membranes. Corexit actually facilitates the penetration of the oil toxins through the cellular membranes transporting them into the body.
Toxicologist Dr. Susan Shaw warns people of the serious effects of Corexit saying it, “Ruptures red blood cells, causes internal bleeding, liver and kidney damage and allows crude oil to penetrate into the cells and every organ system.” She is saying that the combination of oil and Corexit is extremely toxic and goes right through skin. It’s the solvents [from dispersant] that penetrate the skin taking the oil into the cells — takes the oil into the organs...and this stuff is toxic to every organ system in the body.
Red blood cells rupturing due to Corexit toxins could be one cause for the cases of Blu Flu manifesting in Gulf coast residents as the cell’s ability to carry nutrients and oxygen throughout the body would be impaired. Perhaps there are pockets of depleted oxygen in the area as some have suggested. Perhaps too, what we are seeing is an impaired respiratory/circulatory function.
Good Heavens! Is there any wonder at the ill health effects being experienced by the Gulf coast population? Not to mention the chronic illnesses predicted to manifest over time.
The moment you have in your heart this extraordinary thing called love and feel the depth, the delight, the ecstasy of it, you will discover that for you the world is transformed. ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti ~ ♥*♥*♥*♥*♥*♥*♥*♥*♥*♥*♥*♥*♥*♥ Fill Your Life With Love....♥
Crude oil has a complex chemical profile that constantly evolves as it ages. It contains a number of compounds that are carcinogenic and can alter the DNA. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as benzene, and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in “fresh” oil quickly evaporate from the ocean surface into the air.
