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Air Pollution From Gulf Oil Leaks

Though the physical tolls to animal and water life in the Gulf Coast region have been well documented, these just touch the surface of the pollution caused by 2010's Deepwater Horizon oil spill. As the adage goes, just because you can't see pollution doesn't mean it doesn't exist. In June 2010, researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found that oil particles can evaporate into the air, causing significant pollution.

  1. Pollute the Atmosphere?

    • Water can not absorb all water. Only 20 to 30 percent of the surface oil was soaked in the Gulf. Much of the rest was washed ashore or evaporated into thin air, carried by wind gusts. NOAA hurricane-hunting planes even picked up two flying plumes of oil slick on its cameras. One of the plumes was 1.8 miles long, while the other plume measured at 24 miles long. The NOAA believes that aerosol formed from them.

    How Severe Is the Air Pollution?

    • The Christian Science Monitor reported that, in the months following the spill, benzene levels in Louisiana were 20 times above normal --- the levels that one would normally be exposed to at a gas pump. The air pollution in the Gulf of Mexico was worse than the levels found in the air quality of polluted urban areas; however, they were still in accordance to the government's safety levels.

    What Are These Toxic Chemicals?

    • These plumes contain toxic chemicals, such as alkyl nitrates, methane, hexane and butane compounds. Methane is an extremely potent greenhouse gas --- a staunch contributor to global warming. Hexane is a chemical solvent used in paints and spray clues. Butane is a carbon compound used in aerosol and fuel lighters.

    What Are the Physical Effects of the Air Pollution?

    • Toxins found in the air are known to cause skin and eye complications and cause dizziness. A survey by Louisiana Bucket Brigade showed that 72 percent of coastal Louisianans noted an abnormal increase in one or more symptoms, including coughing, eye irritation, headaches and sinus irritation. The government is currently studying long-term effects of air pollution on cleanup workers, though carcinogenic benzene is known to cause short-term lung, kidney and liver complications. Hexane is known to cause nerve damage.

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