[Coral-List] Corexit 9500 and corals

[Ed Blume]

>From a scientific point of view, which is harder on coral -- spilled oil or
Corexit?  If Corexit is worse, wouldn't it be appropriate for someone(s) in
the scientific community to say so?  Wouldn't it bring science to bear on a
public concern?

Ed Blume
Madison, WI
www.renewwisconsin.org

On Thu, May 20, 2010 at 8:32 AM, vassil zlatarski <vzlatarski at yahoo.com>wrote:

>
> Dear Coral-Listers,
>
> The effect of the oil dispersant Corexit is ominously hinted by its name
> (coral+exit).
>
> Do we have the necessary information about the effect of all used
> dispersants to human body, especially to divers, working in waters treated
> with oil dispersants?
>
> Cheers,
>
> Vassil
> 131 Fales Rd., Bristol, RI 02809, USA; tel.: +1-401-254-5121
>
> --- On Thu, 5/20/10, Carys Mitchelmore <mitchelm at umces.edu> wrote:
>
>
> From: Carys Mitchelmore <mitchelm at umces.edu>
> Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Corexit 9500 and corals
> To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> Date: Thursday, May 20, 2010, 12:30 AM
>
>
> Hi,
>
> I havn't been following very many of the threads lately. But I see
> some people are asking about dispersant toxicity to corals. I would be
> happy to provide my 2 pennies worth on dispersants to corals generally
> (I co-wrote the NRC dispersant effect book in 2005 and wrote the
> section on corals!).
>
> In addition I carried out a 2 year study (yet to be published although
> the interim reports are available from the funding agency; CRRC UNH)
> specifically on Corexit 9500 on the soft coral Xenia. Bottom line is
> at levels that may be environmentally relevant they were acutely
> toxic, they stopped pulsing (nearly instantly), they lost algae,
> ulcerated (not sure in which order) and with time (or higher doses)
> simply dissolved. Short-time low dose exposures showed delayed effects
> and much reduced growth after one month in recovery. Dispersed oil was
> worse (affected by the dissolved and droplet phases).
>
> I'd be happy to help with any questions. I would also like to ask
> about the hydrous oxide stated to be in the dispersant? How did you
> find this information?
>
> Best wishes,
> Carys
>
> --
> Carys Mitchelmore
> Associate Professor
> University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
> Chesapeake Biological Laboratory
> PO Box 38
> (1 Williams Street)
> Solomons
> MD 20688
> USA
>
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