Documenting the Oil Disaster in the Gulf of Mexico
Fort McRae oil very toxic to humans, Gulf Breeze News by Scott Page, October 28, 2010:
Lab results confirm that oil discovered in Pensacola Bay last month has extreme toxicity levels
Front-page of the Gulf Breeze News, October 28, 2010
About the testing:
The numbers are frightening.
A lab experienced in testing petroleum products determined that the oil’s toxicity levels are sky-high. …
Lab workers had to dilute the sample 20 times just to get a reading… samples are usually diluted only once [according to Heather Reed].
Heather Reed is the environmental expert for the City of Gulf Breeze who made the discovery in late September. She commented on the test results:
“In its natural state, the numbers are off the chart… It’s extremely toxic to human health.”
Reed commented on the condition of the crude oil:
“The oil is very well preserved… It smells very strong when pulled out of the water. It made me nauseated…
Reed commented on the size of the discovery:
“The oil was in about 3 feet of water and was buried pretty deep in the sediment… The mats where between 6 inches and a foot in diameter, but some were more than 2 feet in diameter. I kept digging and finding more and more.
“Finding this submerged oil is very alarming to me because it’s in such large mats…
Reed commented on the possible degradation of the submerged oil:
“(The oil) is in an anaerobic environment, so there is not a lot of bacteria to break it down.”
According to the report, “She also discovered oil present at Johnson Beach, Fort Pickens and Orange Beach…”
She told the Gulf Breeze News, “I would not recommend going into the water.”
Read the report here.
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