Health Effects of Oil Spills Flashcards
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill location
Gulf of Mexico near Mississipi Delta US
Estimated discharge of oil in Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
4.9 million barrels
Cause of Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
Wellhead blowout
Fault of Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
BP and rig opperator Transocean and contractor Halliburton
Criminal reasoning for Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
Gross negligence, cost-cutting decisions, and inadequate safety system
Where is oil said to be imbedded all the way in Florida Panhandle and Tampa Bay
In the sand
Infant dolphins died at this rate after the spill
6x normal
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill affect on tuna
Heart deformaties
Poster animal for oil spill, why
Turtle, affected at every stage of life
Main effect of oil spill on birds
Cannot thermoregulate, spend all their time preening
Baseline data
Data about the area prior to an event or disaster
Corexit
Chemical dispersant that sinks to the seafloor when mixed with oil
Evidence of Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill found on the Gulf Coast
oily sea foam, tar balls
Medical issues after 5 years since the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
chronic cough, skin rash, memory loss
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill effects on real estate market
Houses spent a long time on the market
Methods of containing oil in when spilled
- skimmer ships
- floating containment booms
- controlled burns
- oil-eating microbes
- Corexit
Criticism of containment booms
- Only effective in relatively calm water
- wash up on shore with oil
- oil can escape above or below boom
Mixture of emulsifier and solvent that breaks oil down into small droplets that may be more readily biodegradable
Corexit
Dispersant trade-offs
exposing coastal life to surface oil and exposing aquatic life to dispersed oil
Concerns with Corexit
- possible cancer causing agents
- hazardous toxins
- endocrine-disrupting chemicals
Georgia Tech 2012 study
Corexit increased toxicity of oil by 52x
Excessive exposure may cause CNS effects, nausea and vommitting, anesthetic or narcotic effects
Corexit
Banned in the UK
Corexit
Clean-up workers of Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
- increased risk for cancer and leukemia
- altered blood profiles, liver enzymes
Deepwater Horizon
Mobile, floating, dynamically positioned drilling rig that could opperate in waters up to 10,000ft deep
9:45pm on April 20, 2010
high-pressure methane gas from well expanded into drilling riser and rose into drilling rig, which exploded and engulfed the platform
Macondo well
Area of the oil reservoir being used in Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
Kick
unplanned flow of well fluids into wellbore
Blowout
uncontrolled release of flammable oil and gas from the well
Features of blowout preventer
- can close pipes
- circular annular preventers
- blind shear rams
Why did the pipe buckle in Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and what effects did this have
Buckling caused by compression from large pressure difference inside and outside the pipe (pipe was closed at the top but oil continued to flow in from the bottom)
Buckling caused the blind shear rams to fail
Financial consequences for BP
42.2 billion and additional 18.7 billion in fines
