SPRING BREAKERS - Gulf of Mexico - TOXIC WARNING!!

As tourism is promoted along the Gulf of Mexico – mats of oil ten inches thick are being hastily removed. The dead dolphins cover the beaches from Texas to Florida.

OIL is TOXIC – COREXIT is TOXIC.

If you spot oil on your beach:

Oil contains a mixture of heavy metals like mercury, arsenic and lead and various hydrocarbons that can cause skin and breathing irritation, as well as cancer. Breathing in oil vapors or sea spray from dispersed oil in wind-blown waves can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and eye and throat irritation. Direct skin contact can cause various kinds of rashes, including generalized skin irritation, or something known as “folliculitis” from oil-clogged skin pores.

It is important to recognize that oil is a hazardous material and that we need to protect ourselves against potential health impacts from coming into contact with any oil or tar balls that continue to wash ashore.

• Avoid areas where oil can be seen or smelled. If you see or smell oil, leave the affected area. Oiled areas should be particularly be avoided by:

  • » Young children.

  • » People with asthma or other respiratory diseases such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

  • » People with a compromised immune system.

  • » People with a hypersensitivity to chemicals, particularly hydrocarbons.

  • » Pregnant women (some of the chemicals in oil have been linked to miscarriage, preterm birth, and low birth rate).

• Avoid any direct skin contact with oil, oil-contaminated water and sediments.

• If any oil makes contact with your skin, wash it off immediately with a grease-cutting detergent and water.

• Do not fish, swim, or engage in water sports in the oil spill-affected waters. State and federal authorities are monitoring conditions and will advise you where these are. If traveling through the area by boat, use rubber gloves when hoisting the anchor.

• Avoid contact with dead or dying fish and wildlife.

• If you are experiencing health symptoms such as headache, nausea, dizziness, or throat irritation, leave the area immediately. If the symptoms do not resolve within a few minutes, make sure to seek appropriate medical attention.

• If you experience difficulty breathing, shortness of breath or other serious symptoms, seek immediate 

SOURCE: NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL

 http://www.nrdc.org/energy/gulfspill/beaches.asp

Note: this warning is from last Summer, there are no warnings for March 2012.