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86-626: The company was founded in 1928 as the National Aluminate Corporation , formed from the merger of Chicago Chemical Company and the Aluminum Sales Corporation. By a series of mergers and acquisition, its name was changed to Nalco Chemical Company (1959 - 1999); then Ondeo Nalco Company (1999 - 2004); and in 2004 to Nalco Holding Company . It became a subsidiary of Ecolab Inc. in December 2011 after

172-728: A suspension , can be studied in terms of zeta potential , which indicates the repulsion between droplets or particles. If the size and dispersion of droplets does not change over time, it is said to be stable. For example, oil-in-water emulsions containing mono- and diglycerides and milk protein as surfactant showed that stable oil droplet size over 28 days storage at 25 °C. The stability of emulsions can be characterized using techniques such as light scattering, focused beam reflectance measurement, centrifugation, and rheology . Each method has advantages and disadvantages. The kinetic process of destabilization can be rather long – up to several months, or even years for some products. Often

258-447: A "water-in-oil" emulsion or an "oil-in-water" emulsion depends on the volume fraction of both phases and the type of emulsifier (surfactant) (see Emulsifier , below) present. Emulsion stability refers to the ability of an emulsion to resist change in its properties over time. There are four types of instability in emulsions: flocculation , coalescence , creaming / sedimentation , and Ostwald ripening . Flocculation occurs when there

344-607: A lawsuit against the EPA and the US Coast Guard , saying the agencies failed to adequately study the chemicals in Corexit and dispersed oil without regard to environmental effects. US District Judge Carl Barbier in December 2012 dismissed all claims against the manufacturer of Corexit, stating that such claims would become an "obstacle to federal law." Barbier held that Nalco did not determine how and in what quantities Corexit

430-521: A merger with Ecolab , Inc., and it became a wholly owned subsidiary of Ecolab Inc. in December 2011 after the completion of the US$ 5.4 billion acquisition by Ecolab. In 1994, Nalco Water and Exxon Chemical Company announced the formation of the joint venture, Nalco Exxon Energy Chemicals L.P., to provide products and services to all facets of the petroleum and natural gas industries. In 2001, NALCO, which by then named 'Ondeo Nalco', strengthened its position in

516-411: A mixture of surfactants , co-surfactants, and co- solvents . The required surfactant concentration in a microemulsion is, however, several times higher than that in a translucent nanoemulsion, and significantly exceeds the concentration of the dispersed phase. Because of many undesirable side-effects caused by surfactants, their presence is disadvantageous or prohibitive in many applications. In addition,

602-485: A small concentration of propylene glycol . Warnings from the Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet for 2-butoxyethanol include: "Cancer Hazard: 2-Butoxy Ethanol may be a carcinogen in humans since it has been shown to cause liver cancer in animals. Many scientists believe there is no safe level of exposure to a carcinogen....Reproductive Hazard: 2-Butoxy Ethanol may damage the developing fetus. There

688-695: A sound scientific basis. An emulsifier is a substance that stabilizes an emulsion by reducing the oil-water interface tension . Emulsifiers are a part of a broader group of compounds known as surfactants , or "surface-active agents". Surfactants are compounds that are typically amphiphilic , meaning they have a polar or hydrophilic (i.e., water-soluble) part and a non-polar (i.e., hydrophobic or lipophilic ) part. Emulsifiers that are more soluble in water (and, conversely, less soluble in oil) will generally form oil-in-water emulsions, while emulsifiers that are more soluble in oil will form water-in-oil emulsions. Examples of food emulsifiers are: In food emulsions,

774-503: A water-in-oil emulsion, in which water is the dispersed phase and oil is the continuous phase. Multiple emulsions are also possible, including a "water-in-oil-in-water" emulsion and an "oil-in-water-in-oil" emulsion. Emulsions, being liquids, do not exhibit a static internal structure. The droplets dispersed in the continuous phase (sometimes referred to as the "dispersion medium") are usually assumed to be statistically distributed to produce roughly spherical droplets. The term "emulsion"

860-422: Is dispersed in the other (the continuous phase). Examples of emulsions include vinaigrettes , homogenized milk , liquid biomolecular condensates , and some cutting fluids for metal working . Two liquids can form different types of emulsions. As an example, oil and water can form, first, an oil-in-water emulsion, in which the oil is the dispersed phase, and water is the continuous phase. Second, they can form

946-470: Is "more toxic to marine life, but less toxic to life along the shore and animals at the surface" because the dispersant allows the oil to stay submerged below the surface of the water. Corexit causes oil to form into small droplets in the water; fish may be harmed when they eat these droplets. According to its Material safety data sheet , Corexit may also bioaccumulate , remaining in the flesh and building up over time. Thus predators who eat smaller fish with

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1032-531: Is achieved by applying an aqueous surfactant solution to the fuel through a high-pressure nozzle. Emulsifiers are not effective at extinguishing large fires involving bulk/deep liquid fuels, because the amount of emulsifier agent needed for extinguishment is a function of the volume of the fuel, whereas other agents such as aqueous film-forming foam need cover only the surface of the fuel to achieve vapor mitigation. Emulsions are used to manufacture polymer dispersions – polymer production in an emulsion 'phase' has

1118-432: Is also used to refer to the photo-sensitive side of photographic film . Such a photographic emulsion consists of silver halide colloidal particles dispersed in a gelatin matrix. Nuclear emulsions are similar to photographic emulsions, except that they are used in particle physics to detect high-energy elementary particles . A fluid system in which liquid droplets are dispersed in a liquid. Note 1 : The definition

1204-402: Is an attractive force between the droplets, so they form flocs, like bunches of grapes. This process can be desired, if controlled in its extent, to tune physical properties of emulsions such as their flow behaviour. Coalescence occurs when droplets bump into each other and combine to form a larger droplet, so the average droplet size increases over time. Emulsions can also undergo creaming, where

1290-411: Is based on the definition in ref. Note 2 : The droplets may be amorphous, liquid-crystalline, or any mixture thereof. Note 3 : The diameters of the droplets constituting the dispersed phase usually range from approximately 10 nm to 100 μm; i.e., the droplets may exceed the usual size limits for colloidal particles. Note 4 : An emulsion is termed an oil/water (o/w) emulsion if

1376-544: Is called the " Tyndall effect ". If the emulsion is concentrated enough, the color will be distorted toward comparatively longer wavelengths, and will appear more yellow . This phenomenon is easily observable when comparing skimmed milk , which contains little fat, to cream , which contains a much higher concentration of milk fat. One example would be a mixture of water and oil. Two special classes of emulsions – microemulsions and nanoemulsions, with droplet sizes below 100 nm – appear translucent. This property

1462-746: Is continuous depends in many cases on the pharmaceutical formulation . These emulsions may be called creams , ointments , liniments (balms), pastes , films , or liquids , depending mostly on their oil-to-water ratios, other additives, and their intended route of administration . The first 5 are topical dosage forms , and may be used on the surface of the skin , transdermally , ophthalmically , rectally , or vaginally . A highly liquid emulsion may also be used orally , or may be injected in some cases. Microemulsions are used to deliver vaccines and kill microbes . Typical emulsions used in these techniques are nanoemulsions of soybean oil , with particles that are 400–600 nm in diameter. The process

1548-664: Is due to the fact that light waves are scattered by the droplets only if their sizes exceed about one-quarter of the wavelength of the incident light. Since the visible spectrum of light is composed of wavelengths between 390 and 750 nanometers (nm), if the droplet sizes in the emulsion are below about 100 nm, the light can penetrate through the emulsion without being scattered. Due to their similarity in appearance, translucent nanoemulsions and microemulsions are frequently confused. Unlike translucent nanoemulsions, which require specialized equipment to be produced, microemulsions are spontaneously formed by "solubilizing" oil molecules with

1634-420: Is exploited in soap , to remove grease for the purpose of cleaning . Many different emulsifiers are used in pharmacy to prepare emulsions such as creams and lotions . Common examples include emulsifying wax , polysorbate 20 , and ceteareth 20 . Sometimes the inner phase itself can act as an emulsifier, and the result is a nanoemulsion, where the inner state disperses into " nano-size " droplets within

1720-425: Is for the disinfection of surfaces. Some types of nanoemulsions have been shown to effectively destroy HIV-1 and tuberculosis pathogens on non- porous surfaces. Emulsifying agents are effective at extinguishing fires on small, thin-layer spills of flammable liquids ( class B fires ). Such agents encapsulate the fuel in a fuel-water emulsion, thereby trapping the flammable vapors in the water phase. This emulsion

1806-479: Is limited evidence that 2-Butoxy Ethanol may damage the male reproductive system (including decreasing the sperm count) in animals and may affect female fertility in animals". 2-butoxyethanol was identified as a causal agent in the health problems experienced by cleanup workers after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill . According to the Alaska Community Action on Toxics, the use of Corexit during

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1892-411: Is not chemical, as with other types of antimicrobial treatments, but mechanical. The smaller the droplet the greater the surface tension and thus the greater the force required to merge with other lipids . The oil is emulsified with detergents using a high-shear mixer to stabilize the emulsion so, when they encounter the lipids in the cell membrane or envelope of bacteria or viruses , they force

1978-552: Is whether the benefits of dispersing the oil by using Corexit are outweighed by the substantial increase in toxicity of the mixture...Perhaps we should allow the oil to naturally disperse. It might take longer, but it would have less toxic impact on marine ecosystems." On their own, oil and Corexit were found to be equally toxic. A study released by Florida State University and Utrecht University , Netherlands in November 2012, found Corexit made oil sink faster and more deeply into

2064-432: The dispersed phase is an organic material and the continuous phase is water or an aqueous solution and is termed water/oil (w/o) if the dispersed phase is water or an aqueous solution and the continuous phase is an organic liquid (an "oil"). Note 5 : A w/o emulsion is sometimes called an inverse emulsion. The term "inverse emulsion" is misleading, suggesting incorrectly that the emulsion has properties that are

2150-667: The Environmental Protection Agency alleging that dispersants were still being used in secret and demanding that the agency take action. The letter was published in the Huffington Post . Ott told Al Jazeera , "The dispersants used in BP's draconian experiment contain solvents , such as petroleum distillates and 2-butoxyethanol . Solvents dissolve oil, grease, and rubber. It should be no surprise that solvents are also notoriously toxic to people, something

2236-477: The Exxon Valdez case, people who worked with dispersants, most of them are dead now. The average death age is around fifty. It’s very dangerous. ... It’s an economic protector of BP, not an environmental protector of the public." Marine toxicologist Riki Ott blamed BP for poisoning locals with Corexit, which she alleges they used to hide their responsibility. In August 2010 she wrote an open letter to

2322-637: The Guaracara River . The President of Petrotrin , Khalid Hassanali denied this claim but confirmed that Corexit had been used one mile off-shore near Pointe-à-Pierre . The use of Corexit is approved in the US by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This decision was called into question in 2013 following a report by the Government Accountability Project alleging "devastating long-term effects on human health and

2408-569: The mountainous star coral did not survive". Studies from Florida showed toxic effects of the oil and Corexit mixture on phytoplankton as well as on larger species, including conch, oysters and shrimp. Surfrider Foundation released preliminary results of their study "State of the Beach" in which they found that Corexit appears to make it tougher for microbes to digest the oil. Organic pollutants ( PAHs ) stay above carcinogenic levels by NIH and OSHA standards owing to inhibition by Corexit of

2494-520: The 800,000 gallons of Corexit applied at BP's Macondo well-head "did nothing to break up the oil and simply drifted into the ecosystem". In December 2012, a study found that Corexit may have been unnecessary, because the leaking jet of oil at the wellhead had sufficient turbulence to disperse the oil without chemical dispersant. In April 2012, Center for Biological Diversity , the Surfrider Foundation , and Pacific Environment filed

2580-581: The Chinese bulk carrier Shen Neng was grounded on Australia's Great Barrier Reef in 2010. Corexit EC9500A and Corexit EC9527A were used during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill . More recently, Corexit has been used in Trinidad . In July 2014, a video released by Anonymous alleged that Corexit 9500 had been used in response to the Petrotrin oil spill , where 8,000 barrels of oil leaked into

2666-470: The EPA told BP to reduce the use of Corexit by 75%; surface use was prohibited unless a request for exemption in specific circumstances was granted, while subsurface use was capped at 15,000 gallons per day. After May 26 daily average use decreased 9%, an average of slightly more than 23,000 gallons per day. On July 15, 2010, BP announced that it had capped the leaking well, and the application of dispersants by

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2752-515: The EPA. Corexit is banned in the United Kingdom due to concerns about possible adverse health effects on people using it. Prior to the 2010 Gulf spill, the majority of studies performed on Corexit tested for effectiveness in dispersing oil, rather than for toxicity . The manufacturer's safety data sheet states "No toxicity studies have been conducted on this product," and later concludes "The potential human hazard is: Low." According to

2838-873: The Enjay Chemical Company (a subsidiary of the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey) each announced the development of Corexit 7664, describing it as non-toxic to marine life- even to shrimp at concentrations of 1% per volume of seawater. Ecotoxicological studies had been undertaken by the Institute of Marine Science at the University of Miami . Corexit 7664's point of difference was described by research chemist Dr Edward Corino to be its water base, where previous dispersants had been hydrocarbon-based and highly toxic. James Avery, Humble Oil and Refining Company's public relations representative for

2924-697: The French company, Suez (presently GDF Suez ). On 9 December 2003, the private equity group consisting of the Blackstone Group , Apollo Management LP and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners collaborated to acquire Ondeo Nalco Company from Suez SA for US$ 4.2 billion. The Company went public again, returning to the New York Stock Exchange in late 2004 under the name Nalco Holding Company . In 2007, Nalco Water achieved sales of more than US$ 3.9 billion. In July 2011, Nalco Water announced

3010-658: The Gulf of Mexico ecosystem" stemming from the use of Corexit. Of the eight European countries in the Bonn Agreement , France, Germany, and the Netherlands have provisions to use Corexit 9500 in an oil spill. Belgium and Norway do not have lists of approved dispersants, but Belgium has a stockpile of Corexit 9527. The UK and Denmark keep lists of approved dispersants and have not approved of Corexit. Sweden does not use dispersant at all. Approximately one week following

3096-487: The New York Times, "Nalco had previously declined to identify the third hazardous substance in the 9500 formula, but EPA's website reveals it to be dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate , a detergent and common ingredient in laxatives". Environmentalists also pressured NALCO to reveal to the public what concentrations of each chemical are in the product; NALCO considered such information a trade secret , but shared it with

3182-720: The U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate, the Department of the Interior, and the Environmental Protection Agency between April 1 and June 30 of 2010, on "issues related to the use of corexit 9500 in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill". Corexit Corexit (often styled COREXIT) is a product line of oil dispersants used during oil spill response operations. It is produced by Nalco Holding Company , an indirect subsidiary of Ecolab . Corexit

3268-549: The acronym SO). The company later merged with Humble Oil to form Exxon, which is now part of ExxonMobil . In 2011, Corexit became the property of Ecolab, following a merger between Ecolab and Nalco Holding Company . As of 2015, Corexit is owned by Ecolab and is manufactured by Nalco Company, an indirect subsidiary of Ecolab. Dispersants are mixtures of surfactants and solvents that are commonly used to break up floating oil slicks into small droplets, which are submerged underwater. This reduces shoreline accumulation but increases

3354-455: The amount of oil underwater. This also increases the surface area of the oil and, in theory, accelerates the destruction of oil by naturally occurring bacteria. Dispersants are themselves a form of pollution that can be toxic to marine life, and the increased activity of bacteria from their presence can deplete oxygen in nearby waters, causing further harm to marine life. There are important trade-offs that must be considered in their use, such as

3440-490: The beaches, and possibly groundwater supplies. The researchers found that Corexit 9500A allowed the toxic components of crude oil ( PAHs ) to permeate sand where, due to a lack of sunlight, degradation is slowed. The authors explained, "The causes of the reduced PAH retention after dispersant application has several reasons: 1) the dispersant transforms the oil containing the PAHs into small micelles that can penetrate through

3526-608: The bottom of the ocean or collecting in the water. None of the eight dispersants tested were "without toxicity", according to an EPA administrator. During the 2010 spill, the ecological effect of mixing the dispersants with oil was unknown, as was the toxicity of the breakdown products of the dispersant. Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said the EPA was not prepared to responsibly authorize BP's use of Corexit, but did so anyway. He noted that manufacturers could nominate themselves to EPA's list of approved dispersants. Although they had to provide data on both efficacy and toxicity, there

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3612-399: The boundary between the phases called the "interface". Emulsions tend to have a cloudy appearance because the many phase interfaces scatter light as it passes through the emulsion. Emulsions appear white when all light is scattered equally. If the emulsion is dilute enough, higher-frequency (shorter-wavelength) light will be scattered more, and the emulsion will appear bluer  – this

3698-460: The broken well-head, roughly 1,500 m (5,000 ft) below the surface. Researchers continue to examine the effects and effectiveness of Corexit. Studies have so far indicated that the dispersant is toxic to marine life . Corexit has been shown to exert a synergistic effect when mixed with oil, increasing its toxicity. Corexit was originally developed by the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey (SONJ) also known as Esso (phonetically derived from

3784-501: The case of non-ionic surfactants or, on a broader scope, interactions between droplets within the system. Storing an emulsion at high temperatures enables the simulation of realistic conditions for a product (e.g., a tube of sunscreen emulsion in a car in the summer heat), but also accelerates destabilization processes up to 200 times. Mechanical methods of acceleration, including vibration, centrifugation, and agitation, can also be used. These methods are almost always empirical, without

3870-542: The completion of the US$ 5.4 billion acquisition by Ecolab. Nalco Water serves more than 70,000 customers employing over 11,500 employees operating in over 130 countries. Among its products is Corexit - an oil dispersant widely used in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill . The company traces its origins to 1928 in the United States with the establishment of National Aluminate Corporation - formed from

3956-552: The costs and benefits of its deployment. In April 1968, 300 barrels of Corexit were shipped to the scene of the stricken tanker Esso Essen off the African coast. 125 barrels of it was sprayed onto the slick by aircraft over two days, after which the slick was dispersed. Corexit was later used in response to the sinking of the Greek tanker Andron off the west African coast. Following these events, Humble Oil and Refining Co . and

4042-491: The dispersant killed plankton and disrupted the Gulf of Mexico's food web , noting that it is "like the middle part of the food chain has been taken away". In late 2012, a study from Georgia Tech and Universidad Autonoma de Aguascalientes in Environmental Pollution journal reported that Corexit used during the BP oil spill had increased the toxicity of the oil by up to 52 times. The study looked at

4128-416: The dispersed phase is denser than the continuous phase and the gravitational forces pull the denser globules towards the bottom of the emulsion. Similar to creaming, sedimentation follows Stokes' law . An appropriate surface active agent (or surfactant) can increase the kinetic stability of an emulsion so that the size of the droplets does not change significantly with time. The stability of an emulsion, like

4214-459: The droplets rise to the top of the emulsion under the influence of buoyancy , or under the influence of the centripetal force induced when a centrifuge is used. Creaming is a common phenomenon in dairy and non-dairy beverages (i.e. milk, coffee milk, almond milk , soy milk) and usually does not change the droplet size. Sedimentation is the opposite phenomenon of creaming and normally observed in water-in-oil emulsions. Sedimentation happens when

4300-690: The eastern region confirmed that following the Torrey Canyon oil spill, another spill in the Fore River from a tanker en route to Weymouth , south of Boston hastened Corexit 7664's development. In February 1969, following application tests in Montreal, Quebec , Canada, the Imperial Oil company announced that it had equipped its fleet of tankers and barges with Corexit for the purpose of dispersing oil spills. In February 1970, Corexit

4386-400: The effects of the oil–Corexit combination on rotifers , which form the base of the food chain. Georgia Tech lab professor Terry Snell said, "There is a synergistic interaction between crude oil and the dispersant that makes it more toxic". He said the addition of Corexit to the gulf spill "probably put a big dent in the planktonic food web for some extended period of time, but nobody really made

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4472-490: The eggs of nesting pelicans that had migrated to the Gulf of Mexico and back to Minnesota. Because Corexit is an endocrine disruptor , researchers said the chemicals can disrupt hormone balance and affect embryo development. Toxins in the Corexit–oil mixture (PAHs) were found to permeate human skin at an accelerated pace due to the presence of the solvent. When oil is dispersed , it is distributed in three dimensions (in

4558-400: The emulsion. An example of this is seen in the separation of the oil and vinegar components of vinaigrette , an unstable emulsion that will quickly separate unless shaken almost continuously. There are important exceptions to this rule – microemulsions are thermodynamically stable, while translucent nanoemulsions are kinetically stable. Whether an emulsion of oil and water turns into

4644-399: The formulator must accelerate this process in order to test products in a reasonable time during product design. Thermal methods are the most commonly used – these consist of increasing the emulsion temperature to accelerate destabilization (if below critical temperatures for phase inversion or chemical degradation). Temperature affects not only the viscosity but also the interfacial tension in

4730-421: The incident, subsidiaries of BP formally requested Nalco Company (an indirect subsidiary of Nalco Holding Company) to supply large quantities of Corexit 9500. Corexit 9500 was listed on the U.S. EPA National Contingency Plan Product Schedule and authority and direction for its use was provided by responding federal agencies. Nalco immediately provided available quantities of Corexit and increased production to supply

4816-479: The interstitial space of the sand. 2) the coating of the oil particles produced by the dispersant reduces the sorption to the sand grains, 3) saline conditions enhance the adsorption of dispersant to sand surfaces, thereby reducing the sorption of oil to the grains". A 2012 study clearly suggests that Corexit is highly toxic to early life stages of coral. From the paper, "Even at a low concentration (0.86 ppm) of oil-dispersant mixture diluted over 96 hours, most of

4902-579: The latter option, sending its report the next day. BP's response to dispersant alternatives was judged to be deficient by both the EPA and the US Coast Guard, requiring EPA to perform its own analysis on the relative toxicity of dispersants. Their peer-reviewed conclusions on August 2, 2010 found that Corexit 9500A was generally neither more nor less toxic than the other available dispersants, and that dispersant-oil mixtures were not generally more nor less toxic to test species than oil alone. On May 26,

4988-642: The level certified as safe by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. During a Senate hearing on the use of dispersants, Senator Lisa Murkowski asked EPA administrator Lisa P. Jackson whether Corexit use should be banned, stating she didn't want dispersants to be "the Agent Orange of this oil spill". According to a NALCO manual obtained by GAP , Corexit 9527 is an “eye and skin irritant. Repeated or excessive exposure ... may cause injury to red blood cells (hemolysis), kidney or

5074-516: The lipids to merge with themselves. On a mass scale, in effect this disintegrates the membrane and kills the pathogen. The soybean oil emulsion does not harm normal human cells, or the cells of most other higher organisms , with the exceptions of sperm cells and blood cells , which are vulnerable to nanoemulsions due to the peculiarities of their membrane structures. For this reason, these nanoemulsions are not currently used intravenously (IV). The most effective application of this type of nanoemulsion

5160-418: The liver.” The manual adds: “Excessive exposure may cause central nervous system effects, nausea, vomiting, anesthetic or narcotic effects.” It advises, “Do not get in eyes, on skin, on clothing,” and “Wear suitable protective clothing.” For Corexit 9500 the manual advised, “Do not get in eyes, on skin, on clothing,” “Avoid breathing vapor,” and “Wear suitable protective clothing.” Neither the protective gear, nor

5246-646: The manual were distributed to Gulf oil spill cleanup workers, according to FOIA requests obtained by GAP. A study of 247 BP oil spill clean-up workers released in September 2013 by the American Journal of Medicine showed the workers were at an increased risk of developing cancer, leukemia and other illnesses. The study concluded that "clean-up workers exposed to the oil spill and dispersant experienced significantly altered blood profiles, liver enzymes, and somatic symptoms." Alabama researchers found that

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5332-453: The manufacturer's website, workers applying Corexit should wear breathing protection and work in a ventilated area. Compared with 12 other dispersants listed by the EPA , Corexit 9500 and 9527 are either similarly toxic or 10 to 20 times more toxic. In a preliminary EPA study of eight different dispersants, Corexit 9500 was found to be less toxic to some marine life than other dispersants and to break down within weeks, rather than settling to

5418-480: The measurements to figure out the impact." The leader of the study, Roberto Rico-Martinez (UAA), said "Dispersants are pre-approved to help clean up oil spills and are widely used during disasters....but we have a poor understanding of their toxicity. Our study indicates the increase in toxicity may have been greatly underestimated following the Macondo well explosion." Snell commented: "What remains to be determined

5504-525: The medical community has long known." Emulsified An emulsion is a mixture of two or more liquids that are normally immiscible (unmixable or unblendable) owing to liquid-liquid phase separation . Emulsions are part of a more general class of two-phase systems of matter called colloids . Although the terms colloid and emulsion are sometimes used interchangeably, emulsion should be used when both phases, dispersed and continuous, are liquids. In an emulsion, one liquid (the dispersed phase )

5590-620: The merger of Chicago Chemical Company and the Aluminum Sales Corporation . In 1959 it changed its name to Nalco Chemical Company ; and in 1964, it became a publicly traded company listed on the New York Stock Exchange . It acquired Industrial Bio-Test Laboratories in 1966, and the marine business from Bull & Roberts (now Waltron ) in 1984. The company was delisted from NYSE and renamed to Ondeo Nalco Company , following its 1999 acquisition by

5676-557: The microbial degradation of hydrocarbons in crude oil. Through the use of 'newly developed' UV light equipment, researchers were able to detect PAHs in sand and on human skin. Corexit, they said, allows these toxins to be absorbed into the skin and cannot be wiped off. The mixture of Corexit and crude is absorbed into wet skin faster than dry. In 2012, researchers for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources found evidence of petroleum compounds and Corexit components in

5762-499: The mid 1970s. Corexit 9500 was designed to replace Corexit 9527. In 2002, Corexit 9527 and Corexit 9500 were the only two chemical dispersants stockpiled in large quantities in the U.S.A. An estimated 2.5 million gallons of chemicals were used in response to the supertanker SS Torrey Canyon oil spill in the United Kingdom in 1967 . The incident harmed marine life and triggered the first significant international public discussions about chemical dispersants' toxicity including

5848-508: The oil to be more rapidly degraded by bacteria ( bioremediation ) and prevents it from accumulating on beaches and in marshes. Corexit was used in unprecedented quantities during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and became the largest use of such chemicals in the United States. In addition to spraying the dispersant onto the surface slick, it was used in an untested, off-label manner when BP injected it at

5934-465: The opposite of those of an emulsion. Its use is, therefore, not recommended. The word "emulsion" comes from the Latin emulgere "to milk out", from ex "out" + mulgere "to milk", as milk is an emulsion of fat and water, along with other components, including colloidal casein micelles (a type of secreted biomolecular condensate ). Emulsions contain both a dispersed and a continuous phase, with

6020-478: The outer phase. A well-known example of this phenomenon, the " ouzo effect ", happens when water is poured into a strong alcoholic anise -based beverage, such as ouzo , pastis , absinthe , arak , or raki . The anisolic compounds, which are soluble in ethanol , then form nano-size droplets and emulsify within the water. The resulting color of the drink is opaque and milky white. A number of different chemical and physical processes and mechanisms can be involved in

6106-727: The petroleum industry when Nalco Exxon Energy Chemicals, L.P. became part of the company through redemption of ExxonMobil stock in the joint venture. Daniel S. Sanders, who was previously president of Exxon Mobil Chemical Company, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil; serves on Nalco's (now, Ecolab 's) board. OpenSecrets documents Nalco Company Political Action Committee financial contributions to political candidates, with 2010 contributions to Judy Biggert (R-IL), Charles Boustany (R-LA), Dan Lipinski (D-IL), John Shimkus (R-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL). OpenSecrets also lists Nalco Holding Company's spending on lobbying , including $ 160,000 in 2010 to Ogilvy Government Relations to lobby on their behalf to

6192-485: The process of emulsification: Oil-in-water emulsions are common in food products: Water-in-oil emulsions are less common in food, but still exist: Other foods can be turned into products similar to emulsions, for example meat emulsion is a suspension of meat in liquid that is similar to true emulsions. In pharmaceutics , hairstyling , personal hygiene , and cosmetics , emulsions are frequently used. These are usually oil and water emulsions but dispersed, and which

6278-548: The product to BP’s subsidiaries. On May 19, 2010 the EPA gave BP 24 hours to choose less toxic alternatives to Corexit, selected from the list of EPA-approved dispersants on the National Contingency Plan Product Schedule, and begin applying them within 72 hours of EPA approval of their choices; or, if BP could not find an alternative, to provide a report on the alternative dispersants investigated and reasons for their rejection. BP took

6364-437: The relative level of toxicity of the dispersant versus the relative toxicity of the spilled oil, to ensure that dispersant use mitigates an oil spill rather than making the problem worse. Corexit products have been used in oil spill response activities since the late 1960s. Early products in the line included Corexit 7664 and Corexit 8666. Corexit 9527 is one of the first modern concentrate dispersants and has been in use since

6450-408: The response effort ceased shortly thereafter. The total used in the event was 1.84 million gallons of Corexit EC9500A and Corexit EC9527A, with roughly 58% sprayed from the air. At the beginning of the Gulf spill, the proprietary composition was not public, but the manufacturer's own safety data sheet identified the main components as 2-butoxyethanol and a proprietary organic sulfonate with

6536-446: The spill caused people "respiratory, nervous system, liver, kidney and blood disorders". In response to public pressure, the EPA and Nalco released the list of the six ingredients in Corexit 9500, revealing constituents including sorbitan , butanedioic acid , and petroleum distillates . Corexit EC9500A is made mainly of hydrotreated light petroleum distillates, propylene glycol and a proprietary organic sulfonate . According to

6622-418: The stability of a microemulsion is often easily compromised by dilution, by heating, or by changing pH levels. Common emulsions are inherently unstable and, thus, do not tend to form spontaneously. Energy input – through shaking, stirring, homogenizing , or exposure to power ultrasound  – is needed to form an emulsion. Over time, emulsions tend to revert to the stable state of the phases comprising

6708-591: The toxin in their systems may end up with much higher levels in their flesh. The influence of Corexit on microbiological communities is a topic of ongoing research. Corexit 9527, considered by the EPA to be an acute health hazard , is stated by its manufacturer to be potentially harmful to red blood cells , the kidneys and the liver , and may irritate eyes and skin. Like 9527, 9500 can cause hemolysis (rupture of blood cells) and may also cause internal bleeding. According to BP data, 20 percent of offshore workers had levels of 2-Butoxyethanol two times higher than

6794-443: The type of emulsifier greatly affects how emulsions are structured in the stomach and how accessible the oil is for gastric lipases , thereby influencing how fast emulsions are digested and trigger a satiety inducing hormone response. Detergents are another class of surfactant, and will interact physically with both oil and water , thus stabilizing the interface between the oil and water droplets in suspension. This principle

6880-416: The water column) rather than just two (on the surface). USF scientists found that the untested undersea application of the dispersant created abundant oil plumes in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. In 2013 it was reported that everywhere along the track that a plume had drifted, a massive die-off of benthic foraminifera was left in its wake. According to the EPA, Corexit EC9500A (formerly "Corexit 9500")

6966-667: Was 54.7% effective, while Corexit EC9527A was 63.4% effective in the dispersion of Louisiana crude . The EPA lists 12 other dispersants as being more effective in dealing with oil in a way that is safe for wildlife. Reports from Florida scientists showed Corexit "may not have done its job properly" and that the dispersant "does not seem to facilitate the degradation of the oil" by oil-eating bacteria. Evidence from researchers at Florida Institute of Oceanography showed Corexit did not degrade as promised. Studies by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute conducted in January 2011 indicated that

7052-571: Was administered during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. EPA whistleblower Hugh Kaufman gave an interview to Democracy Now during the height of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill news coverage and explained his views on the use of Corexit, saying "EPA now is taking the position that they really don’t know how dangerous it is, even though if you read the label, it tells you how dangerous it is. And, for example, in

7138-726: Was air-dropped onto oil which leaked from the SS Puerto Rican as it sank off San Francisco later that year. Corexit 9580 was used during the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill disaster in Alaska. Corexit 7764 and Corexit 9527 were both used during the 1992 Port Bonython oil spill in South Australia . 45,000 litres of Corexit 9500 and 9527 were used in the response to the Montara oil spill off Australia's north-west shelf in 2009 and 2,000 litres of Corexit 9527 were used after

7224-651: Was deployed by aircraft onto an oil slick leaking from the stricken tanker Arrow in Nova Scotia , Canada. A month later, Chevron used Corexit and another chemical dispersant called Cold Clean on and beneath an oil platform off the Louisiana coast during a spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Corexit 9527 was applied to spilled oil in Galveston, Texas in August 1984 but was said to have failed. 2,000 gallons of Corexit

7310-562: Was no official toxicity limit to bar approval. Chemist Wilma Subra expressed her concern about the danger of the Corexit-crude mixture, telling GAP investigators, “The short-term health symptoms include acute respiratory problems , skin rashes , cardiovascular impacts, gastrointestinal impacts, and short-term loss of memory....long-term impacts include cancer , decreased lung function, liver damage, and kidney damage.” Nalco spokesman Charlie Pajor said that oil mixed with Corexit

7396-482: Was originally developed by the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey. Corexit is typically applied by aerial spraying or spraying from ships directly onto an oil slick. On contact with the dispersant, oil that would otherwise float on the surface of the water is emulsified into tiny droplets and sinks or (in the unusual case of sub-surface application) remains suspended in the water. In theory this allows

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