Essay On BP Oil Spill

The largest oil spill in the history of United States is the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, also known as the BP oil spill. The oil spill initially lasted eighty-seven days, and the after-effects are still happening today, almost seven years later, causing heart disease. The oil spills lasting effects have polluted many water habitats and is beginning to pollute our air. Because of its pollution in our air, people are beginning to have heart problems, such as heart disease and respiratory issues. A team of Stanford and Manchester scientists showed fish in pelagic regions of the waters affected by the BP oil spill have Phenanthrene in their cardiac cells. Phenanthrene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon - PAH for short. The Phenanthrene was released from the oil and is a key factor of disrupting heart function. While the Phenanthrene released into the water immediately affected sea-life, it is now affecting humans. Now in the air, the substance is giving us these heart problems. Exposure to Phenanthrene (especially in large amounts) can make a heart weigh more, and cause cells to become enlarged. Phenanthrene was in the air even before the oil spill happened, but the BP oil spill led to excess amounts being put into the air. A PAH like Phenanthrene can enter out air through car exhaust, by burning
Affecting 1,600 miles of water including many different water habitats and animals, the oil spill was the largest recorded in U.S history. Now, seven whole years later, effects of the oil spill are continuing, affecting both humans and animals. Heart diseases are a large result on humans after the oil spill, as a result of the chemical Phenanthrene being released into the air. The air pollution of Phenanthrene is largely affecting the areas near the Gulf of Mexico, in states such as Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida along their