The mission of Lower Mississippi RIVERKEEPER® is to protect, preserve
and restore the ecological integrity of the Mississippi River Basin for
current users and future generations through advocacy and citizen
action.
Our never ending work on the health issues affecting people since the BP spill continues to gain the attention of the public and the media a like. The recent report released by our chemist Wilma Subra caught the attention of KLFY reporter Chuck Hubner.
You can watch the two videos by visiting the KLFY website
Kick up some mud with the prop, stick your hands in the water and voilà, OIL!
The wetlands here look typical, with nothing unnatural about the appearance of the water or the browning of the mid winter marsh grass. But with minimal effort it is easy to shatter the sense of normalcy of both of these sights.
Last Friday, I was fortunate enough to accompany Cpt. Al Walker of the Gulf Coast Charter Captain Alliance, and Tracy Palmisano of Gulf Coast Marine Recovery into some of their favorite fishing grounds. Along the shoreline of a small island in the southeast corner of Barataria Bay, Al dug the prop of his outboard motor into the shallow water and quickly stirred up a thick cloud of sediment from the bottom. Killing the engine and slipping on a pair of nitrile gloves, Al reaches overboard into the murky water and rubs his fingers together amongst the particulate dislodged from the bay. Within seconds it is clear that this is not ordinary mud. Al’s hands are quickly coated in a thick black tar-like goo, as shown in the above picture. “Oil” he says, “I could do this all day. It’s everywhere. I keep hoping one of these times I do this and its not there anymore. But it’s not going anywhere.”
As if that wasn’t shocking enough, we left the boat and walked on shore to be greeted by another alarming site not 20 feet from the shoreline. Piles of oil soaked absorbent boom and pompoms littering the fragile marsh. Difficult to see from the water, this contaminated boom and pom-pom stretch endlessly into the distance effectively concealed by grass that has grown up around it since its abandonment mid-summer. “This has been here since June.” Tracy comments, adding that he and Al have personally reported it numerous times.
It has been quite some time since boom has been deployed around the perimeter of this island and there was no evidence to suggest that anyone was working to address the oiled material that has been left here. The oil under the water, the oily waste in the marsh grass, its a horrifying depiction of “out of sight, out of mind.”
A large, seemingly fresh tar-patty close by seemed to suggest the monumental effort to protect our coast line has lost focus a bit too soon and overlooked a few possibly disastrous loose ends. Paul Orr, Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper, was on hand to collect water, sediment, and biota samples to get a clearer picture of the state of this neglected ecosystem.
Al, Tracy, Paul, Mike and I want nothing more than to be able to say confidently that the oil is gone, the marshes are clean, the ecosystem is thriving. But so far, the evidence suggests otherwise. Since the beginning of this disaster, Al and Tracy have been volunteering in every way possible to assist in protecting and restoring the gulf. Even going so far as to seek out current technologies capable of addressing the unique challenges. It is apparent, especially in light of todays observations, that the clean up has not been sufficient. In addition to the remaining oil it is also disconcerting that the devices deployed to combat the destruction of our coastal estuaries have been left behind bathed in the contaminants they were designed to remove. They have been left behind to scar the precious terrain that they were intended to save.
On behalf of LEAN, LMRK, and everyone else who loves the gulf coast, this disaster isn’t over and not following through in cleaning it up is not an option.
CLEAN UP YOUR MESS!
To report the presence of oiled waste left in our delicate environment to the Unified Command contact 1 (866) 448-5816 or (281) 366-5511.
Evaluation of the Results of Whole Blood Volatile Solvents Testing 2
By Wilma Subra Subra Company
Samples of blood were collected on December 16, 2010, from four males, age 3, 36, 42 and 43, and one female, age 38. The individuals tested were a diver who came in contact with the BP spill chemicals, individuals who visited the coastal communities and wetlands, documenting the impacts of the BP spill, and individuals exposed along the beaches. The whole blood samples were analyzed for Volatile Solvents by Method 0762, Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry, by Metametrix Clinical Laboratory in Duluth, Georgia
Ethylbenzene
Ethylbenzene was detected in all five blood samples in excess of the NHANES 95th Percentile value. The male diver had the highest concentration of Ethylbenzene, 0.63 ppb, which was 5.7 times the 95th Percentile NHANES value. The male diver also had the highest value of Ethylbenzene when compared to the other 9 individuals whose blood had been previously tested (1.3 times the highest previous value). The previous samplings of blood for volatile solvents were performed on residents exposed along the coast and BP cleanup workers.
The second highest concentration of Ethylbenzene was 3.3 times the 95th Percentile and occurred in the 3 year old male. The third highest concentration of Ethylbenzene was 2.8 times the 95th Percentile and occurred in the 38 year old female.
m,p-Xylene
m,p-Xylene was detected in four of the five blood samples in excess of the NHANES 95th Percentile value. The male diver had the highest concentration of m,p-Xylene, 1.93 ppb, which was 5.68 times the 95th Percentile NHANES value. The male diver also had the highest value of m,p-Xylene when compared to the other 9 individuals whose blood had been previously tested (1.5 times the highest previous value). The 36 year old male did not have detectable levels of m,p-Xylene.
Hexane
Hexane was detected in all five blood samples. The highest concentration of Hexane in the blood occurred in the 3 year old male and the 36 year old male. The hexane concentrations in the blood of the 3 year old male and 36 year old male were in the 40th Percentile. The Hexane values detected in the five blood samples fell in the same range as the previous 9 blood samples.
2-Methylpentane
The concentrations of 2-Methylpentane were highest in the 3 year old male and 36 year old male. The 2-Methylpentane values in the 3 year old male and 36 year old male were elevated and in the 82nd Percentile. The 2-Methylpentane values were in the same range as the previous nine blood samples analyzed.
3-Methylpentane
The concentrations of 3-Methylpentane were highest in the 36 year old male. The 36 year old male value was in the 2nd Percentile.
Isooctane
The highest concentration of Isooctane occurred in the male diver and was in the 3rd Percentile. The Isooctane values were in the same range as previous blood samples examined.
Conclusions
All five individuals tested had Ethylbenzene in their blood in excess of the NHANES 95th Percentile. Four of the five individuals tested had m,p-Xylene in their blood in excess of the NHANES 95th Percentile.
All five individuals had Hexane, 2-Methylpentane, 3-Methylpentane, and isooctane in their blood.
The diver had the highest concentration of Ethylbenzene, m,p-Xylene and Isooctane in his blood. The 3 year old male and 36 year old male had the highest concentrations of Hexane, 2-Methylpentane and 3-Methylpentane.
The Ethylbenzene, m,p-Xylene and Hexane correlate to the volatile organic chemicals in the BP Crude Oil. The blood of all five individuals had chemicals that corresponded to the chemicals in the BP Crude Oil.
Evaluation of the Results of Whole Blood Volatile Solvents Testing 3
By Wilma Subra Subra Company Technical Advisor to Louisiana Environmental Action Network
Whole blood samples were collected from 12 individuals between the ages of 10 and 66 on September 13 and 27, 2010, November 1, 22 and 29, 2010 and December 6, 2010. The individuals consisted of 10 and 11 year old males, four adult males and six adult females. The individuals were male and female cleanup workers on Orange Beach, Alabama, male and female crabbers from the Biloxi, Mississippi area and individuals living on Perdido Key, Alabama. The blood samples were analyzed for Volatile Solvents by Method 0762, by Metametrix Clinical Laboratory in Duluth, Georgia.
Benzene
Four whole blood samples, from 46 year old male and female, 51 year old female and 10 year old male, contained 3.1 to 9.3 ppb Benzene. The Benzene values were 11.9 to 35.8 times higher than the NHANES 95th Percentile value of 0.26 ppb. The 46 year old male and female and 10 year old male were from one family of crabbers from the Biloxi, Mississippi area. The 51 year old female was also a crabber from the Biloxi, Mississippi area.
Ethylbenzene
Ethylbenzene was detected in all 12 blood samples in excess of the NHANES 95th Percentile value of 0.11 ppb. Six of the individuals tested had blood levels of Ethylbenzene in the range of 0.1 to 0.3 ppb. These values exceeded the NHANES 95th Percentile value by as much as 2.7 times. The other six individuals had blood levels of Ethylbenzene from 0.32 to 0.36 ppb. These values ranged from 2.9 to 3.3 times higher than the NHANES 95th Percentile value.
m,p-Xylene
Eleven individuals had blood containing 0.4 to 1.3 ppb m,p-Xylene. These values were up to 3.8 times higher than the NHANES 95th Percentile value of 0.34 ppb. The 54 year old male did not have m,p-Xylene in his blood.
Hexane
All 12 individuals had Hexane in their blood. Five of the whole blood samples had Hexane in excess of the NHANES 95th Percentile value of >200 ppb. The individuals with blood Hexane levels over the NHANES 95th Percentile value were the 10 year old male, 32 year old female, 46 year old female, 47 year old female and 51 year old female The other seven blood samples contained from 100.9 to 188.35 ppb. These values were 50 to 94 percent of the NHANES 95th Percentile value.
2-Methylpentane
The blood of all 12 individuals contained 2-Methylpentane. Three individuals, the 51 year old female, 46 year old female and 10 year old male, had a whole blood level in excess of the NHANES 95th Percentile value of 84.0 ppb. The high 2-Methylpentane blood levels were 84.7 ppb, 88.3 ppb, and 95.9 ppb, respectively. The 51 year old female and 46 year old female were crabbers and the 10 year male was the son of the 46 year old female crabber. The other nine individuals had blood levels of 2-Methylpentane ranging from 40 to 77 percent of the NHANES 95th Percentile value.
3-Methylpentane
All 12 individuals had 3-Methylpentane in their blood. No individuals had whole blood levels of 3-Methylpentane in excess of the NHANES 95th Percentile value of 128 ppb. The blood levels of 3-Methylpentane were 23 to 67 percent of the NHANES 95th Percentile value of 128 ppb. The 10 year old male (son of a crabbing family in Biloxi, Mississippi) had the highest concentration of 3-Methylpentane, 85.8 ppb.
Isooctane
Eleven of the 12 individuals had Isooctane in their blood. The 51 year old female did not have Isooctane in her blood. The blood levels of Isooctane were 10 to 26 percent of the NHANES 95th Percentile value of 30.6 ppb in the 11 individuals. The 10 year old male (son of a crabbing family) had the highest concentration of Isooctane, 7.92 ppb.
Individuals with Highest Blood Concentrations
The 10 year old male is from the Biloxi, Mississippi area and was exposed to the BP chemicals along the Mississippi coast and while playing outside. The parents of the 10 year old are crabbers. As a result of his exposure, he had severe respiratory impacts. He had the highest concentration of 2-Methylpentane, 3-Methylpentane and Isooctane. The 2-Methylpentane concentration was 1.14 times the NHANES 95th Percentile value and the 3-Methylpentane concentration was 67% of the NHANES 95th Percentile value. The 10 year old male’s blood also contained Benzene, Ethylbenzene, m,p-Xylene and Hexane over the NHANES 95th Percentile values.
The 11 year old male is from Perdido Key, Alabama and has been exposed to the BP chemicals along the Alabama coastal area. He had the highest concentration of Ethylbenzene (3.3 times the NHANES 95th Percentile value). He also had m,p-Xylene in excess of the NHANES 95th Percentile value and had concentrations of Hexane, 2- Methylpentane, 3-Methylpentane, and Isooctane in his blood.
The 46 year old female is the mother of the 10 year old male. She and her husband are crabbers from the Biloxi, Mississippi area and have been exposed to the BP chemicals along the coastal waters of Mississippi. She had the second highest concentration of 2-Methylpentane and the third highest concentration of Isooctane. She also had Benzene, Ethylbenzene, m,p-Xylene and hexane in excess of the NHANES 95th Percentile values.
Kick up some mud with the prop, stick your hands in the water and voilà, OIL!
As if that wasn’t shocking enough, we left the boat and walked on shore to be greeted by another alarming site not 20 feet from the shoreline. Piles of oil soaked absorbent boom and pompoms littering the fragile marsh. Difficult to see from the water, this contaminated boom and pom-pom stretch endlessly into the distance effectively concealed by grass that has grown up around it since its abandonment mid-summer. “This has been here since June.” Tracy comments, adding that he and Al have personally reported it numerous times.
Al, Tracy, Paul, Mike and I want nothing more than to be able to say confidently that the oil is gone, the marshes are clean, the ecosystem is thriving. But so far, the evidence suggests otherwise. Since the beginning of this disaster, Al and Tracy have been volunteering in every way possible to assist in protecting and restoring the gulf. Even going so far as to seek out current technologies capable of addressing the unique challenges. It is apparent, especially in light of todays observations, that the clean up has not been sufficient. In addition to the remaining oil it is also disconcerting that the devices deployed to combat the destruction of our coastal estuaries have been left behind bathed in the contaminants they were designed to remove. They have been left behind to scar the precious terrain that they were intended to save.
