by Lenna Gonya

Created on: August 03, 2010   Last Updated: August 04, 2010

While the ecological consequences of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico may very well be far reaching and take years to return to normal, scientists believe that human health concerns are unwarranted.

Certainly, everyone is aware of the damage that the oil spill has or may caused to wildlife along the coast. Marsh lands that are yearly breeding grounds for turtles, birds and fish have been impacted, causing problems that may only be apparent over the next few years. Endangered species, that have been carefully protected, and were once making a comeback, are now, once more, in danger.

Many species, once abundant along the coast, may leave the area entirely, if their food sources have been destroyed, and the worst case scenario is that the coastline may never be quite the same again.

While all of this is bad news, certainly for the area, both for ecological and human reasons, the oil itself is not believed to be a health factor.

It is true that oil, on the skin can cause a temporary skin condition or rash, but workers that are involved in cleanup wear protective clothing, suits, gloves and boots. Even the stickiest gunk found on the beaches is harmless if you avoid touching it with your bare skin.

The actual smell of the oil, while not pleasant, are actually the chemicals that quickly disperse into the air. While some of these chemicals may have a link to cancer, the concentration is generally low after reaching the open air, and they are basically harmless, regardless of the smell.

Those who make their living fishing, or who regularly buy seafood from the area are concerned that the amount of oil that the fish have been exposed too will prevent them from being used as food. It has been pointed out that if a fish is covered with oil, it will smell badly, and no one would want to eat it. Even fish and other seafood that may have ingested some oil are harmless, since it would take enormous amounts of these chemicals over a period of several decades, for any effect to be noticed.

While there isn’t much good news concerning the Gulf spill, the fact that doctors and scientists are optimistic about the effects on human life, are at least encouraging. Hopefully, down the road, there will be equally good news about the survival of the wildlife and future generations of wildlife in the Gulf.

http://www.livescience.com/health/Oil-Spill-Has-Litt le-Impact-On-Human-Health-100503.html

Learn more about this author, Lenna Gonya.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.