Friday, May 21, 2010

Adding insult to injury

Just looked up Corexit 9500. That's the dispersant they're spraying on the BP oil leak in the Gulf. Here's the exposure limits for workers:
ACGIH/TLV :
Substance(s)
Oil Mist TWA: 5 mg/m3
STEL: 10 mg/m3

Propylene Glycol
OSHA/PEL :
Substance(s)
Oil Mist TWA: 5 mg/m3
STEL: 10 mg/m3

What the hell does this mean you might ask? Here's a quick lesson. ACGIH is the industrial hygenist standards for worker exposures to a chemical. They tend to be more strick than OSHA standards.
TWA = Time weighted average or an 8 hour period that worker would be exposed to a chemical.
STEL = Short term exposure limit or a 30 minute sample of exposure at the peak of a work activity.
5 mg/m3 = 5 milligrams per cubic meter of air.
Five milligrams is a fairly low amount in terms of a hazardous chemical. But remember this is in the form of a mist. You could make a mist of lemon juice and have just as damaging an effect. But this stuff also contains petroleum distillates not something I would use because one it's more toxic for both the worker (remember they're dropping this from planes) and two the environment. There's no indications of tests on animals or the damage it would do to them. Plus I'm sure there are cheaper less toxic substitutes.

That's all I have for now. The beavers and bank report later...

8 comments:

BBC said...

Sometimes I wonder if it's worth our effort to fuss over what is going on down South. It's always been my opinion that the farther South you go the more idiots you run into. Many of them are smart enough, but they're still idiots.

Maybe we should be more concerned about things that are going on in our own area here in the Great Northwest and let those Southern idiots solve their own problems, or not, I don't think they want our advice anyway.

Just our money when they get their asses in trouble, they're always wanting us to help bail them out.

I'll keep buying shrimp from my crazy Canadian friends.

BBC said...

We need a state law that states that Southerners can't come here without being considered illegal immigrants so we can boot them back out or our fine state will become over populated with more idiots we can't support.

And we sure don't need idiots that would approve of drilling for oil in the sound and risking fucking up our waters.

BBC said...

And in other news....

OSLO, Norway – Norwegian oil company Statoil evacuated 89 workers from an offshore rig in the North Sea after encountering an unexpected change in pressure while drilling a well, a spokesman said Friday.

Tim said...

You son of a Gun..I just got done collecting the MSDS sheets. I was trying to figure out how to post them.
Maybe I still will. Anyway glad you posted your findings. I believe Corexit is owned by Exxon. Not that it matters. Unlike what was reported I have not found them to be Carcinogenic. I would like to compare it to a MSDS from Dawn detergent.
Good work my friend.

Tim said...

Demeur
I linked to your post as you explained MSDS sheets quite well.

Thanks Tim

Life As I Know It Now said...

more trouble on top of more trouble it seems to me.

hey, I followed you over here from Randal's blog. Nice place you got, I've added you to the roll.

Anonymous said...

torebki online
to torebki batycki , torebka kuferek , torebki david jones . torebka damska , torebka kuferek ?

Anonymous said...

projektant wnetrz
to projektant wnetrz warszawa , projektowanie wnetrz bialystok , . projektant wnetrz bialystok , ?