Arsenic, a toxic element known to cause cancer among other health maladies, is naturally found in the world's oceans. The ocean naturally filters out arsenic as it combines with sediment on the sea floor. However, oil spills lead to an accumulation of arsenic in the water because it interrupts this natural process. The result? We are seeing a surge in arsenic concentrations in Gulf waters. As arsenic bioaccumulates in the food chain, toxic levels of arsenic will enter the human food supply - particularity over the years as media attention dies down and fishing in these polluted waters resumes. The myriad impacts of this disaster are just beginning to be explored, and this is just the latest in a series of devastating consequences directly caused by the spill.
[The Herald Sun]
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