Chemical dispersants used in gulf oil spill don't hurt seafood safety, FDA says

[Elmore Furth]

Source: Washington Post

Chemical dispersants sprayed into the Gulf of Mexico to break up the massive oil spill from the Deepwater Horizon disaster do not appear to threaten the safety of seafood in the affected waters, the Food and Drug Administration said this week.

In a letter sent in response to questions from Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), the agency responsible for ensuring the safety of seafood said that chemicals used to break up the slicks are not as dangerous to human health as the oil itself.

FDA scientists do not believe that the chemicals accumulate significantly in the tissue of fish and shellfish, and so, even if the fish absorb the chemicals through gills or other ways, the fish do not retain them, Jeanne Ireland, FDA's assistant commissioner for legislation, wrote to Markey. That means they do not pass up the food chain to humans and are not considered a public health concern, according to the FDA.

BP sprayed 1.8 million gallons of the dispersant Corexit on the surface of the gulf and, for the first time, at the wellhead a mile underwater. Dispersants were last used July 19, four days after BP temporarily capped its leaking well.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/06/AR2010080603185.html?wprss=rss_nation&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wp-dyn%2Frss%2Fnation%2Findex_xml+%28washingtonpost.com+-+Nation%29

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This isn't what the whistleblowers said earlier.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/aug/03/gulf-oil-spill-chemicals-epa

[izquierdista]

1. "Do not appear"

"I just can't see it." -- Helen Keller

[WingDinger]

2. More crap. Yes, they are more volatile than the oil. But, they are the trojan horse that introduces

them into the water column. Where they are eaten, and breathed, al day, every day. Even worse than air breathers. So the dispersant evaporates, leaving the oil. At least when it floats, all the fishes get fresh air. Mammals, not so much.

[JBoy]

3. You don't retain a bullet that passes through you, either.

[DJ13]

4. Dont worry, its safe to eat!

[L0oniX]

5. BWAHAHAHAHAHAH ...let them eat it then.

[Blue Owl]

6. Oh is that right?

n/t

[lovuian]

7. Liars 1 Believers O

our own government lies to its people over and over again

this is just like the EPA saying the Air is just fine down here at Ground Zero Christine Whitman has friends

[Donnachaidh]

8. damn! Forgot to put on my hipwaders!

FDA offices -- it's getting DEEP in there, and it ain't dispersants, either. :sarcasm:

[madrchsod]

9. good thing i`ve never eaten a bite of fish in my life.....

i guess this will let bp off the hook for the damage to the fishing industry...

[uberblonde]

10. Bullshit.

It has smaller molecules than the oil and it infiltrates EVERYTHING.

[felinetta]

11. Oh really. Sorry but this is a lie. I think part of it is due to the fact that

the economy sucks and people need to get back to work. By time
the dispersant cause significant damage, they will say that
they cannot conclusively say it is because of these
dispersants. BP gets off the hook, people will suffer and they
will sing: Obladi oblada, life goes on.

[Robbien]

12. The government is just obeying their corporate masters orders

Flood the media with good news about BP, even if you have to lie, cheat and steal to do it.

[villager]

13. Well if the *FDA* says it...

...since they're entirely free of any corporate suasion whatsoever, it must be true!

[tomm2thumbs]

14. i'm sure BP will be paying to put 'JUST IN FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO' stickers on packaging

not so much

[Javaman]

15. Oh? and what will be served at the next state dinner? New Orleans Shrimp? nt

[HCE SuiGeneris]

16. Liars. Blatant liars feeding us BS. Thank dog for the EPA!

:grr:

[BeFree]

17. well

What did you expect? That the FDA would say that the seafood is contaminated?

Why would they say that?

[Jax]

18. More effing bullshit. Becoming the norm.

I see the right wing corporate 'monsanto is gawd' posters haven't seen this here yet.

[Duer 157099]

19. "FDA scientists do not believe that the chemicals accumulate..."

Belief? Since when is science based on belief?

Faith-based food safety?

Scientists are in a position to *KNOW* whether the chemicals accumulate or not. It's not a matter of belief.

[dipsydoodle]

31. Well the chemical the manufacturers were most reluctant to broadcast

was the compound used for clearing constipation which you can buy off prescription at your local pharmacy. The compound regarded as being the most toxic is 2-Butoxyethanol which is used in many household cleaners including some baby wipes.

[TheWatcher]

20. It's really interesting. They are now telling lies so big that even a dead cricket could figure it

out.

This would lend to the disturbing notion that they truly believe they have nothing to fear from the Public, and that we are so dumbed down, cowed, stupid, and clueless, we will just go along with whatever they say.

And even if we don't, they feel they have nothing to fear from the public as far as accountability.

They are openly encouraging us to Poison ourselves.

Goebbels would have an orgasm if he was alive today.

It is getting to the point that I wonder if he were alive today, if he would find the prospect or working for our government far more attractive than what he had to work with in the 30's and 40's.

He would certainly impressed with them, I am sure.

[ibegurpard]

32. yup

they really do believe we're idiots are they don't care whether we believe it or not.

[apnu]

21. "... because there isn't any seafood left in the gulf." says the report.

[zonkers]

22. Seafood lovers, just consider the dispersants a marinade.

[truthisfreedom]

23. Total. Fucking. Bullshit.

Wow, our tax dollars at work. Obama should be very ashamed by this.

[Lorien]

34. +1.

:grr:

[ShamelessHussy]

24. "do not believe"

good advice...

[superconnected]

25. It's pretty bad when you _know_ the FDA is lying.

And they are.

[bvar22]

26. What do all the following statements have in common?

"I did not have sex with that woman."

"I did not campaign on a Public Option."

"The air at Ground Zero is perfectly safe."

"Free Trade is GOOD for the American Worker."

"Most of the oil in the Gulf just disappeared."

"Seafood from the Gulf is perfectly safe to eat."

[Odin2005]

27. Bullshit!!!

[Vinca]

28. This sounds like total bullshit. Even it it turns out to be true,

it seems way too premature to make a proof positive determination.

[golddigger]

29. When is everyone going to realize

it doesn't matter who's in power. The government lies. What are they going to say? The world's coming to an end? No. They say. Don't worry - it can't hurt you.

[dipsydoodle]

30. OK then

Exactly which of the components of Corexit are cumulative toxins ? If none then the statement in the OP is correct because the dispersant will pass through any affected marine life.

[mike r]

33. And Vioxx is good for ya

[Lorien]

35. If the FDA is willing to put out a whopper of a lie like this one

what the fuck ELSE are they allowing us to be fed???

[No Elephants]

36. Effects of some chemicals on the body are not seen for years, maybe decades.

When you get down to it, what has greed left us that is indisputably safe to eat?

Maybe orgganically grown soy--unless, of course, it's been exposed to air borne, bee borne, insect borne, etc. contaminants.

Bon appetit!

[ThomThom]

37. that is bull shit, they don't understand fish at all

and the fish are dead if they get enough

[City Lights]

38. What a crock!

The EPA should stand behind their claim by eating Gulf seafood, and washing it down with a pint of Corexit.

[goforit]

39. OMG!!!!!!...... WTF????.......! UNBELIEVABLE!!!!

[nightrain]

40. knr. This just couldn't possibly make sense. They're saying OIL dispersants

don't harm seafood? Then what was it that did/does? I wouldn't eat that stuff for a very very very long time.... Sure, go ahead, eat the dispersants straight up, like we would dish detergent. It also sounds like the "okay" folks got about air quality right after 911.

Oh, the lies... and he said it would be different...