BP Oil Spill BLOG POST
Corexit, Crude Oil and Respiratory Illness
Corexit is a chemical dispersant that was sprayed onto the crude oil that spilled into the Gulf of Mexico following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. Corexit is a known toxin and carries warnings to that effect on its instructions for use. Three years after the spill, both cleanup workers and residents of the Gulf region continued to suffer the effects of exposure to the highly toxic mix of crude oil and Corexit. Among the most common health complications caused by this exposure is respiratory illness.
What happens when Corexit and crude oil fumes are inhaled
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines for application of chemical dispersants in oil cleanup efforts state clearly that those working with Corexit dispersants should be equipped with protective gear, including respiration tanks and masks. Corexit contains Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs)
Which are when inhaled penetrate lung tissue easily. Crude oil itself is a toxic substance and contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), compounds that easily become airborne and following the 2010 Oil Spill, traveled inland via even the lightest of breezes towards populated coastal areas.
The combination of Corexit dispersants and crude oil creates a toxic vapor that is high in benzene — a known carcinogen — among other poisonous ingredients. Even in areas in which there was no perceivable toxic odor, Gulf residents were exposed to highly dangerous vapors. Within weeks of the spill, hundreds of cleanup workers and area residents began reporting to the area’s health services with complaints of respiratory illness, including:
- Persistent cough
- Asthma
- Pneumonia
- Chronic congestion and irritation of mucous membranes
It is still unclear what percentage of those suffering from chronic respiratory conditions including lung cancer, compromised lung performance and other non-reversible respiratory conditions, can attribute their illness to the Oil Spill and cleanup efforts. The EPA’s own literature indicates that health care providers should expect more respiratory problems to manifest in coming years among Gulf Coast residents and former cleanup workers.
Monetary compensation is available to Gulf residents and cleanup workers who have become ill as a result of the oil spill. The Downs Law Group is instrumental in helping ill residents get the money they need for their medical needs.
Corexit is a chemical dispersant that was sprayed onto the crude oil that spilled into the Gulf of Mexico following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. Corexit is a known toxin and carries warnings to that effect on its instructions for use. Three years after the spill, both cleanup workers and residents of the Gulf region continue to suffer the effects of exposure to the highly toxic mix of crude oil and Corexit. Among the most common health complications caused by this exposure is respiratory illness.
What happens when Corexit and crude oil fumes are inhaled
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines for application of chemical dispersants in oil cleanup efforts state clearly that those working with Corexit dispersants should be equipped with protective gear, including respiration tanks and masks. Corexit contains Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs)
Which are when inhaled penetrate lung tissue easily. Crude oil itself is a toxic substance and contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), compounds that easily become airborne and following the 2010 Oil Spill, traveled inland via even the lightest of breezes towards populated coastal areas.
The combination of Corexit dispersants and crude oil creates a toxic vapor that is high in benzene — a known carcinogen — among other poisonous ingredients. Even in areas in which there was no perceivable toxic odor, Gulf residents were exposed to highly dangerous vapors. Within weeks of the spill, hundreds of cleanup workers and area residents began reporting to the area’s health services with complaints of respiratory illness, including:
- Persistent cough
- Asthma
- Pneumonia
- Chronic congestion and irritation of mucous membranes
It is still unclear what percentage of those suffering from chronic respiratory conditions including lung cancer, compromised lung performance and other non-reversible respiratory conditions, can attribute their illness to the Oil Spill and cleanup efforts. The EPA’s own literature indicates that health care providers should expect more respiratory problems to manifest in coming years among Gulf Coast residents and former cleanup workers.
Monetary compensation is available to Gulf residents and cleanup workers who have become ill as a result of the oil spill. The Downs Law Group is instrumental in helping ill residents get the money they need for their medical needs.
