Happy Atheist Forum

General => Science => Topic started by: Tank on July 22, 2010, 07:37:09 AM

Title: Gulf Oil Dispersants
Post by: Tank on July 22, 2010, 07:37:09 AM
Gulf Oil Dispersants Unlikely to Be Endocrine Disruptors and Have Relatively Low Cell Toxicity, Tests Find (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100721133217.htm)

QuoteScienceDaily (July 21, 2010) â€" Government scientists are reporting that eight of the most commonly used oil dispersants used to fight oil spills, such as the massive episode in the Gulf of Mexico, appear unlikely to act as endocrine disruptors -- hormone-like substances that can interfere with reproduction, development, and other biological processes...

A small light at the end of a very long dark tunnel.
Title: Re: Gulf Oil Dispersants
Post by: Thumpalumpacus on July 22, 2010, 05:08:44 PM
If I understand, these dispersants are essentially surfactants, no?
Title: Re: Gulf Oil Dispersants
Post by: Tank on July 22, 2010, 06:38:01 PM
Quote from: "Thumpalumpacus"If I understand, these dispersants are essentially surfactants, no?
I think that is the case. But I'm no chemist.
Title: Re: Gulf Oil Dispersants
Post by: KDbeads on July 22, 2010, 07:30:33 PM
Pretty much all surfactants from what I can remember.  There were a couple of studies done a while back that basically said they were harmless as well but no one paid any attention to them.  I can't seem to locate info on them either.