Are there any long term health risks to people cleaning up the BP oil spill (cancer or something)?

Luckily humans can take steps to avoid ingesting or inhaling this stuff. The dispersant is nasty and degrades in aquatic environments in 16 days. Crude oil ain't so wunnerful, either, but holistic types (God bless 'em) might be happy that it is 'natural' ....... Neither is reported to be carcinogenic, just sickening and irritating.

Ask Crippler where the benzene comes from? The CDC doesn't report about this unless some F***up uses it as a solvent and it gets absorbed through skin.

The CDC this week sent out the following information which as a HAZMAT guy, you will enjoy reading:

**CDC Gulf Oil Spill Webpage**

http://emergency.cdc.gov/gulfoilspill2010/

Information for Health Care Professionals:

Oil Spill Dispersant (COREXIT ®EC9500A and EC9527A) Information for Health Professionals

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/oil_spill/dispersants_hcp_...

Case Studies in Environmental Medicine (CSEM) - Exposure History

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/exphistory/ehcover_p...

Light Crude Oil Information for Health Professionals

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/oil_spill/light_crude_heal...

Information for Coastal Residents:

Dispersants and Your Health

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/oil_spill/dispersants_and_...

Light Crude Oil and Your Health

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/oil_spill/light_crude_resi...

What to Expect from the Oil Spill and How to Protect Your Health

http://emergency.cdc.gov/gulfoilspill2010/what_to_...

Information for Clean-up Workers:

Reducing Occupational Exposures while Working with Dispersants During the Gulf Oil Spill Response

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/oil_spill/dispersants_and_...

I live in Southern Louisiana and the last estimate for the new pipeline will be finished sometime in August but I am not holding my breath on that one. Sad thing is people here in the Gulf are facing the loss of a lifestyle that has gone on for centuries. The cleanup will take decades and the marsh land will probably never fully recover as oil remnants will remain even if they divert a good amount of water from the MS River to flush it out. It will be interesting to see how much toxins the marine life will absorb as they recover from this disaster. The stretch from Baton Rouge to New Orleans is called 'cancer alley' because of the refineries. I guess another cancer alley has just been added to the equation.

"A radar system I worked on had an oil cooled klystron."

They were PCB's. That's way nastier than crude oil.

There are long term hazards to being exposed to crude oil. Especially if you ingest it or absorb a lot through your skin. Personal protective equipment is a big help mitigating those hazards.

The people helping out are required to go through 40 hours of Hazmat training, and have to wear protective gear.

There are people all over the world exposed to crude oil in the oil industry so I'm sure the effects are well known.

I have had friends who worked in the oil patch who died at a young age from cancer. It probably depends on the length of time and concentration of oil as to the danger.

there most likely are.people are sick now.but BP, has denied that ,any of the first responders ,or people ,on the oil rig,have illnesses directly related to/cause by, the oil spill

Yes of course there are. That is why they control exposure by limiting how much time the workers work.

I'm sure there are some health risks. None have been mentioned, but we pay out SS to people with low IQ's, so I'm sure this will be next to be added to the list of disabilities.

It is not just oil, much of this crude is mixed with benzene, a known carcinogen.