Secret Ingredients in Corexit Oil Dispersant Are Carcinogenic and Absorbed Through Skin

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http://www.fastcompany.com/1658530/epa-reveals-ingredients-in-corexit-oil-dispersant


Some of the worst fears about the dispersant BP is using in the Gulf Spill appear to be justified.


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Now the EPA has released the list of ingredients, and it isn't comforting: Despite Nalco's claims that Corexit is safe, biodegradable, and free of carcinogens, it happens to contain substances that--you guessed it!--are dangerous, non-biodegradable, and carcinogenic.

For example, there's 2-butoxy ethanol. Greenbiz lists the following warnings for the substance:

2-Butoxy Ethanol can affect you by ingestion and may be absorbed through the skin.
2-Butoxy Ethanol should be handled as a CARCINOGEN--WITH EXTREME CAUTION.
Contact can irritate the skin and eyes with possible eye damage.
Inhaling 2-Butoxy Ethanol can irritate the nose and throat.
2-Butoxy Ethanol can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.
Exposure can cause headache, dizziness, lightheadedness, and passing out.
2-Butoxy Ethanol may damage the liver and kidneys.

We've seen 2-butoxy ethanol before: It was also used during cleanup operations for the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil disaster.

In a recent interview with FastCompany.com, Exxon Valdez worker Merle Savage described many of the symptoms listed above, including nausea, vomiting, liver damage, and dizziness. Cleanup workers at the BP disaster site are also reporting similar symptoms. The most disturbing part: more effective and less toxic products have been around for years.
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[Catherina]

1. +1 still 0. BP hard at work n/t

[KamaAina]

2. "more effective and less toxic products have been around for years."

You left out the most important part (at least to Big Oil): more expensive. :grr: :banghead: :argh:

[FarCenter]

3. Uses -- now you know why that whiteboard cleaner smells like that!

2-Butoxyethanol is a solvent in paints and surface coatings, as well as cleaning products and inks. Other products that contain 2-butoxyethanol include acrylic resin formulations, asphalt release agents, firefighting foam, leather protectors, oil spill dispersants, bowling pin and lane degreaser, and photographic strip solutions. Other products containing 2-butoxyethanol as a primary ingredient include some whiteboard cleaners, liquid soaps, cosmetics, dry cleaning solutions, lacquers, varnishes, herbicides, and latex paints.

2-Butoxyethanol is frequently found in popular cleaning products.<1><2> It provides cleaning power and the characteristic odor of Windex and other glass cleaners. It is the main ingredient of many home, commercial and industrial cleaning solutions, such as Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner.

...

Safety

Butoxyethanol has an LD50 of 2.5g/kg in rats.<5> Laboratory tests by the United States National Toxicology Program have have shown that sustained inhalation of high concentrations (100 - 500 ppm) of 2-butoxyethanol can cause adrenal tumors in animals.<6> American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) reports that 2-butoxyethanol is carcinogenic in animals.<7> OSHA does not regulate the butoxyethanol as a carcinogen.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2-Butoxyethanol

[eppur_se_muova]

4. Another reason (of many) to go back to good old CHALKboards. nt

[HughMoran]

6. I've been breathng that and several dozen other chemicals over the years

Working in a factory and being an auto mechanic leads to lots of interesting smells.

[pipi_k]

5. Something I'll bet lots of people don't even consider...

it doesn't take a LOT of a substance/poison through the skin to do damage.


I use a transdermal progesterone cream 21 days a month.

The amount I use each day is less than 1/4 teaspoon. Within 20 minutes of applying it, I am sleepy. Within two days my mood improves and I feel calmer.


1/4 teaspoon!

through the skin.


People are mistaken if they think something has to be ingested or injected to have an effect...

and it doesn't take much at all.

[TheWebHead]

7. that would be high concentration risk

it's used in liquid soaps, Windex, and Simple Green

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2-Butoxyethanol