Ever since the explosion on offshore drilling rig Deepwater Horizon, British Petroleum (BP) and the National Oceanic Atmospheric and Administration (NOAA) have been sticking by their estimates that only 2000 barrels of oil a day are being dumped into the Gulf of Mexico. A prominent Florida State University oceanographer said the oil spill was likely five times larger than 5,000 barrel-a-day. Based on other independent scientist models, the volume of oil spilling can be as high as 25,000 to 80,000 barrels a day.
This is unheard of and unprecedented contamination of our environment. It is a catastrophe that at the very least will take many, many years for our ecosystem to return to normal. In the meantime, wildlife, seashore communities and our environment will need to deal with this devastation. Equally as important, everybody exposed to the airborne contamination that occurs with spills like this, will be at a health risk. Air borne burning fire smoke, emitting gases and other toxins are likely to cause mild health symptoms or worse, life threatening conditions.
When you are outdoors, you will breathe fumes that get you sick and there is little you can do. When inside however, you can clean your home's air with air cleaners, often referred to as air purifiers. Buy a high quality unit build to last. Make sure that the system contains multilayer filtering that includes medical grade High Efficiency Particulate Arresting (HEPA) filtration along with a generous portion of activated carbon with customized compound additives.
Fumes Cause Air Pollution
The crude oil and natural gases erupting from the bottom of the sea, hitting the surface of the water and eventually finding its way to land are complex chemicals. When exposed to air they create volatile organic compounds (VOC's) and hydrocarbons in the form of gases. When these chemicals are burned from the surface of the water, they create nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, acidic aerosols and solid particulate matter soot. These emissions are chemical poisons.
Is Exposure A Health Concern?
All of these pollutants can be cancer-causing agents, interrupt reproduction, adversely impact neurological conditions, negatively impact the cardiovascular system, damage skin and impair organ function. Inhaling volatile organic compounds and other hydrocarbons give us headaches, eye and throat irritation, dizziness, nausea and breathing difficulties. The body will be chemically poisoned if exposure is heavy and prolonged. If there are pre-existing conditions such as asthma or emphysema you are at greater danger than the normal population. This is also true if you are elderly or a child. Particulate matter can damage the heart, seriously interrupt healthy body function and in severe cases, cause premature death. In fact, many of the fume elements are considered small particulate matter capable of bypassing our immune system and directly changing the course of the human body.
Past Lessens
Communities involved with local oil drilling in the past believe oil and gas toxins make them sick. There are countless cases in which toxic emissions have been linked to a myriad of health problems.
When the Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred 1989, the attending medical community began observing that cancer, neurological damage, organ failures and health complications were found in cleanup workers at an alarming rate. These workers were wearing protective clothing. Unprotected people in the area were also experiencing skin irritation, dizziness, pulmonary symptoms and other health complications.
In 2000, fires were set at oil wells intentionally by Iraqi troops during the Persian Gulf War. Doctors noted that there was an excessive increase in heart disease and cancers. Diseases that did not exist in the regions began to occur along with notable increases in cancer.
In 2002, Spain experienced the Prestige oil spill. Many people, including fishermen and cleanup workers, experienced respiratory problems, headaches and dizziness.
The crude oil and the natural gas disasters that historically generate airborne toxic chemical mixes have been well documented as sources of health concerns and sicknesses.
What To Expect On The Gulf Shore
As plumes and contaminated air reach the Gulf shores, the human breathing zone will become dangerous. Oily sea water will become an aerosol of tiny droplets that can be inhaled by coastal communities. The people along these sea side communities may likely begin experiencing difficulty breathing, become nauseous, get headaches and experience other debilitating sicknesses. These toxic fumes may last for years. When they do, there may be long term health impacts including in the worst case scenario, cancer and premature death.
Sea side communities should take the necessary precautions and get an air purifier for the home to protect themselves. This preparation will ensure a safe haven and become a sanctuary from the surrounding disaster.
