Post by boilerman1 on Dec 26, 2013 10:53:29 GMT -5
Okay, on other sites I've heard folks complaining about the use of Corexit EC9527A in the oil cleanup. Let's first clarify what it is. Some have called it an absorbent, and that can't be further from the truth. In fact, it has exactly the opposite affect since it's a dispersant. It's the same concept as putting Dawn dish soap into an oily pan, causing the oil to disperse throughout the water.
About 1,000,000 gallons of the stuff was used in the Gulf. 400,000 gallons of this four component blend is called glycol ether EB (AKA ethylene glycol monobutyl ether or 2-ethoxybutanol). Until recently, I sold this stuff for use in water based HOUSE PAINTS to be used at a 5% concentration. About 10,000 gallons of the blend is proplyene glycol, which I currently sell into the food products such things as flavored VODKA and CHOCOLATES. About 200,000 gallons of the blend is a sulfonic salt which I sell regularly for use in your KITCHEN COUNTER TOP CLEANERS. The forth component of the blend is a chemical called H2O. Yes, water is a chemical and you shouldn't be terrified of this word chemical. Some chemicals are bad and some chemicals are not.
While 1,000,000 gallons sounds like a lot of stuff, consider that the well sat in 2 mile deep water and 1 square mile in this area has about 2,200,000,000,000 (2.2 trillion gallons) sitting below it. We certainly should limit our use of Corexit in our oceans, but understand that in the Gulf of Mexico has some 1,500,000,000,000,000,000 (1.5 quintillion) gallons of water.
You are regularly around these chemicals in your home at MUCH higher concentrations and you have been for decades. You have them on your hands, or you eat and drink them. In the concentrations used, it's not a big deal.
Now, I fully expect some emotional folks that don't understand chemicals and numbers to tell me to f-u-c-k off. Have at it.
About 1,000,000 gallons of the stuff was used in the Gulf. 400,000 gallons of this four component blend is called glycol ether EB (AKA ethylene glycol monobutyl ether or 2-ethoxybutanol). Until recently, I sold this stuff for use in water based HOUSE PAINTS to be used at a 5% concentration. About 10,000 gallons of the blend is proplyene glycol, which I currently sell into the food products such things as flavored VODKA and CHOCOLATES. About 200,000 gallons of the blend is a sulfonic salt which I sell regularly for use in your KITCHEN COUNTER TOP CLEANERS. The forth component of the blend is a chemical called H2O. Yes, water is a chemical and you shouldn't be terrified of this word chemical. Some chemicals are bad and some chemicals are not.
While 1,000,000 gallons sounds like a lot of stuff, consider that the well sat in 2 mile deep water and 1 square mile in this area has about 2,200,000,000,000 (2.2 trillion gallons) sitting below it. We certainly should limit our use of Corexit in our oceans, but understand that in the Gulf of Mexico has some 1,500,000,000,000,000,000 (1.5 quintillion) gallons of water.
You are regularly around these chemicals in your home at MUCH higher concentrations and you have been for decades. You have them on your hands, or you eat and drink them. In the concentrations used, it's not a big deal.
Now, I fully expect some emotional folks that don't understand chemicals and numbers to tell me to f-u-c-k off. Have at it.
