Oil from BP spill may be more toxic than previously believed
12:57, 20 August 2010
BEIJING,.August. 20 KAZINFORM University of South Florida's recent research shows the toxicity of microscopic drops of oil in the undersea plumes from the BP spill may be more toxic than previously believed. Kazinform feres to Xinhua.
The dispersed oil appears to be having a toxic effect on bacteria and phytoplankton, the researchers say, according to Science & Technology reports.
They suggest that this highly dispersed oil, though at very low concentrations, may still pose a risk to microscopic marine life, including eggs and larvae of fish and other creatures.
Despite more testing as well as confirmation that the oil originated from the BP spill, the results, if hold, would "confirm our worst fears, that the oil is dispersed by still harming the food web," Jeffery Short from Oceana said, according to New York Times. Kazinform cites Xinhua. See www.xinhuanet.com for full version.