Gulf Oil Spill; An American Chernobyl?
Posted on 01. Aug, 2010 by Linx Daniel in Headlines, Health, World
Will Deadly Chemicals Lead to American Chernobyl?
While not caused by a nuclear meltdown, and huge quantities of radiation being released, the DeepWater Horizon’s oil spill into the Gulf of Mexico may present many of the same dangers. Even to the point of causing cancer.
With no intent to reconcile the Gulf Oil Spill with the immediate effect of Chernobyl, the long term ramifications are eerily similar. The amount of dangerous toxic chemicals released not only into the Gulf, and on it’s beaches, but into the air, by the oil and gas itself is only one factor. The ‘chemical dispersant’ used is, and will continue to play a large part in the effects.
Already workers, have been hospitalized throughout the clean-up effort, and many locals to areas heavily effected have felt ill. Beyond that, the particular chemicals released have the ability to travel decent distances inland, as well. There is not a specific odor associated with most of these chemicals, it comes as a ‘silent’ problem.
In the long term, the effects of all the chemicals on any life-form they come in contact with, can produce vast effects, especially dangerous when considering the DNA risk. Unborn human babies can develop illnesses, and deformities, human ova, all mammal ova, in fact, can suffer effects, causing, much as Chernobyl, genetic defects that will last. The soil, and groundwater will be much damaged, and as more effects to the wildlife that live in the Gulf, and sustain not only economically, but serve as major food sources in the regions, emerge, that too will suffer the lasting effects. The end results do not look good, with the majority of the effected areas devastated by the primary chemical effect, and the secondary effects ranging from cancer caused by long-term Benzene exposure in the areas, to the economic impact turning huge swatches of land into virtual ghost towns. It leads to the question… in the end, will America have a huge ‘dead’ zone, much as the one from the Chernobyl incident? Or worse, will America have even worse long term health effects from the Gulf oil spill?
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