Dangers of Organic Chemical Spills like the
BP Gulf Coast Disaster |
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BP’s disaster in the Gulf has created untold damage to local industries, tremendous suffering to individuals whose livelihoods have been all but destroyed, suffering and death to fish and bird life, and a contamination of waters in a way we don’t yet comprehend. When seasonal storms and hurricanes hit this area, the spread of this contamination can travel the whole Eastern seaboard and actually impact waters and the environment the world over.
As devastating as this may sound, there may be an even more devastating outcome: The long-term release of volatile organic chemicals, such as benzene, methylene chloride and hydrogen sulfide, into the atmosphere.
The release of petroleum from the Earth also releases these gases, which can have devastating effects on health, including pulmonary damage, nervous system degeneration, and threats of cancer. |
| Benzene |
It appears that there is no safe level of benzene, which means that any exposure is harmful, especially to children, pregnant women, and the elderly.
In a pertinent study done in Louisiana long before the oil spill, researchers found that people from two particular parishes who lived downwind from a large oil refinery that emitted high levels of volatile organic chemicals, including benzene, had a clear elevation of leukemia compared to other parishes that were not downwind from the refinery. The time between exposure to benzene and the development of cancer can be 10 years. This means we could be facing an ongoing health crisis. |
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| The Toxicity Of The Oil Dispersant |
| In the news recently have been reports of an additional danger from the oil dispersant, named Corexit, used in the Gulf Coast cleanup. Though no studies have yet to be done on humans, it is known that this line of chemicals is toxic to the nervous system. It is reported that an estimated 880,000 gallons of this chemical has been used so far in the cleanup effort. Some 70 people in Louisiana have been hospitalized with symptoms of possible toxic effects from the dispersant spray. |
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| Bentonite Clay |
| Clay, which comes from the crust of the Earth, may be the oldest remedial substance on the face of our planet. Indigenous tribes and animals from all around the globe have used bentonite clay, in one form or another, to help heal wounds, infections and digestive issues. In tribal lore, this clay has been used for eating (to clean and heal the gut), as a poultice for wounds in battle, as well as for infections, and as a substance to bath in. Wild animals, up to the present day, have been seen, in the wild, to roll around in clay quarries and to eat the clay itself. |
| The most important property when selecting a bentonite clay is it's cation exchange capacity.The cation exchange capacity is a property of the bentonite that creates a negative electrical charge. The power of this charge will determine its effectiveness in attracting and pulling out all the positively-charged toxins from the body. As a clay bath, this will pull contaminants from the bloodstream and the surface tissue like chemicals, heavy metals, bacteria, food additives, plastics, etc.
Bentonite clay is very effective at decreasing the cumulative toxic insult on the body, including the volatile organic chemicals that pose such a threat to not only the cleanup workers in the Gulf, but to all residents there – and to everyone everywhere who may be exposed to these airborne contaminants. |
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Other Supplements to Detoxify Your Body from Volatile Chemicals |
Glutathione, the cell’s master antioxidant and detoxifying agent, opens the phase 2 detoxification pathways, and greatly assists in detoxifying metabolites and chemicals. Glutathione has been shown in a recent study to be 100 times more absorbable that any other oral glutathione, making sure the glutathione reaches the interiority of the cell.
Turmeric and quercetin are also very powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatories, an especially important combination in protecting against volatile organic chemicals. |
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| In Conclusion |
| With technology and industry advances, the toxic burden on our planet increases significantly each year. As a consequence, the toxic load on our bodies increase. The lesson is that one can overcome a great deal of the toxicity of these poisonous environmental compounds simply by a proper usage of bentonite clay, a healthy diet, and a few appropriate nutritional supplements. |
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