Dispersant will only hide true amount of oil....

That is one question I would like an answer to as well. The oil is still out there just not on the surface. Seems like it would be a bigger problem suspended in the water column than just on the surface.

im getting so sick of this crap

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IMHO, dispersant's only benefit is PR related, breaking up the oil to hide the real impact of the spill.

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This

In reality, the spill would be cleansed naturally by the ocean itself in open water. I understand the pressure to protect the coast and wetlands from the spill but I'm sure there are millions of natural vents on the ocean floor that spew oil directly into the underwater ecosystem. It may temporarily disrupt the local environment but long-term the oceans have the natural ability to cleanse the spill. The vast majority of the Exxon Valdez spill was cleansed naturally by the ocean and surrounding environment. Mops and rags cleaning up the oil at that time had little substantial effect and I suspect the same will be true here even though this dwarfs the Exxon spill in Alaska.

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does not compute

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find me a non-toxic dispersant then maybe it will compute

non-toxic dispersants are mainly water soluble surfactants that penetrate the surface area of the spill and cause them to disperse/emulsify into the water phase. once the oil molecules are dispersed into the water phase they become food for micro-organisms. non-toxic dispersants are used primarily in spill response and soil remediation but they can be cut with water and sprayed on an oil spill on a water surface


here is a common one in the industry:
LINK

HazClean™ ESR (Emergency Spill Response & Soil Remediation)

HazClean ESR is the new technologically advanced, environmentally safe, completely biodegradable product developed as a spill response agent for incidental hydrocarbon spills and to aid in natural biological soil remediation.

HazKlean ESR rapidly bonds itself to hydrocarbon particles quickly surpressing the hydrocarbon vapors to reduce the threat of fire or explosion.
HazKlean ESR stimulates the indigenous soil bacteria’s capabilities to attack the hydrocarbon particles without adding excessive amounts of chemicals or bacteria foreign to the soil

The solution to piluution is dilution.....

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the nalco corexit product

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It's my understanding that's what they have been using

Would be nice to know if they are using something safer

Nalco reported they had 150,000 gallons of available corexit inventory when this started and they have alledgedly depleted their inventory