oil spills

Question 1

location of deep water horizon oil spill

Answer 1

the gulf of mexico near mississippi delta

Question 2

how much oil was spilled at DWH

Answer 2

4.9 million barrels = 210million gals = 780000m3

Question 3

how did the oil spill affect humans

Answer 3

over all the oil spill and the use of Corexit causes memory laps, cough and spotty skin/rash

Question 4

how did the oil spill affect wildlife

Answer 4

extensive damage to wildlife and habitats, oil was embedded into the sand

marine animals had record death rates

fish that were exposed developed deformities of the heart and other organs
life expectancy was shortened

Question 5

what are the methods used for oil clean up

Answer 5

skimmer ships
floating containment booms
controlled burns
oil-eating microbes
corexit

Question 6

what is corexit and what does it do?

Answer 6

a chemical dispersant made of emulsifered and solvents that breaks up oil and causes it to sink

Question 7

what are the health effects of corexit?

Answer 7

for wildlife it had a more detrimental effect, it cause both underwater species and above-water species to be in direct contact with the oil
for humans, it is a cancer-causing agent and interferes with endocrine hormones
shown to increase the risk of developing leukemia and other cancers

Question 8

what type of drill rig was at DWH

Answer 8

semi-submersible, drilling under 5000 f of water

Question 9

what was a poster animal of the spill

Answer 9

turtle

Question 10

how did the oil spill affect birds?

Answer 10

reduced their ability to thermoregulate

increased focus on preaning and less food searching= starved

Question 11

what systems failed that lead to the blowout

Answer 11

due to the blowout preventer failing, buckling of the drill pipe where the pressure inside the pip was very very high (oil kept flowing up even though the top was closed).