BP oil spill 'increases arsenic in ocean,' scientists say - NYPOST.com
The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is increasing the level of arsenic in the ocean, British scientists said Monday.
Imperial College London researchers published a study which found oil stops the ocean’s natural filtering process of arsenic.
The arsenic then gets “magnified” up the food chain, as fish eat small amounts of the deadly poison and may eventually impact humans, researchers said.
Professor Mark Sephton said arsenic, which is found in seawater, was normally filtered out of the ocean when it combined with sediment on the sea floor.
“But oil spills stop the normal process because the oil combines with sediment and it leads to an accumulation of arsenic in the water over time," he said. "Arsenic only needs to be a 10th of a part per billion to cause problems.”
He added, “Our study is a timely reminder that oil spills could create a toxic ticking time bomb, which could threaten the fabric of the marine ecosystem in the future.”
Sephton said comprehensive mapping of arsenic levels around the world was needed. The maps would allow authorities to consider banning oil drilling in areas with dangerous levels of arsenic.
The findings were published this month in the journal Water Research.
BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig has been spilling between 35,000 and 60,000 barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico each day since it exploded on 22 April.
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