COREXIT 9527a+9500a+Oil Spill=EthylBenzene in Peoples bloods stream....what about the birds/fish/oct

Please folow this idea, EthylBenzene is made from Catalyzing Benzene and Ethylene with acids....

Ethylbenzene is an organic compound with the formula C6H5CH2CH3. This aromatic hydrocarbon is important in the petrochemical industry as an intermediate in the production of styrene, which in turn is used for making polystyrene, a common plastic material. Although often present in small amounts in crude oil, ethylbenzene is produced in bulk quantities by combining benzene and ethylene in an acid-catalyzed chemical reaction:

C6H6 + C2H4 → C6H5CH2CH3

Ethylbenzene is one of many things showing up in bloodtests in people complaining of feeling very ill etc, there are other posts regarding these recently alarming results, which are irrefutably linked to BP Oil's gulf disaster. Could it also be affecting the mass deaths? The dispersants keep the oil is small bits so that they do not rise in the water they just drift away....WTF where do they go and no testing on animals and only claims that its safe to humans....ok getting wierd....please bare with me...I will highlight and paste a portion of wiki....please read more if you feel the need....its just to much and will distract from my points...look for the items below, I will tie it together soon...

Composition
[edit] Corexit 9527
The proprietary composition is not public, but the manufacturer's own safety data sheet on Corexit EC9527A says the main components are 2-butoxyethanol and a proprietary organic sulfonate with a small concentration of propylene glycol.[16][17]
[edit] Corexit 9500
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 .[4] Corexit EC9500A is made mainly of hydrotreated light petroleum distillates, propylene glycol and a proprietary organic sulfonate.[18] Environmentalists also pressured Nalco to reveal to the public what concentrations of each chemical are in the product; Nalco considers that information to be a trade secret, but has shared it with the EPA.[19] Propylene glycol is a chemical commonly used as a solvent or moisturizer in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, and is of relatively low toxicity. An organic sulfonate (or organic sulfonic acid salt) is a synthetic chemical detergent, that acts as a surfactant to emulsify oil and allow its dispersion into water. The identity of the sulfonate used in both forms of Corexit was disclosed to the EPA in June 2010, as dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate.[20]
[edit] Toxicity
The relative toxicity of Corexit and other dispersants are difficult to determine due to a scarcity of scientific data.[4] 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." [21] According to the manufacturer's website, workers applying Corexit should wear breathing protection and work in a ventilated area.[22] Compared with 12 other dispersants listed by the EPA, Corexit 9500 and 9527 are either similarly toxic or 10 to 20 times more toxic.[8] In another 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 the bottom of the ocean or collecting in the water.[23] None of the eight products tested are "without toxicity", according to an EPA administrator, and the ecological effect of mixing the dispersants with oil is unknown, as is the toxicity of the breakdown products of the dispersant.[23]
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.[15][24] The chemical 2-butoxyethanol, found in Corexit 9527, was identified as having caused lasting health problems in workers involved in the cleanup of the Exxon Valdez oil spill.[25] According to the Alaska Community Action on Toxics, the use of Corexit during the Exxon Valdez oil spill caused people "respiratory, nervous system, liver, kidney and blood disorders".[17] Like 9527, 9500 can cause hemolysis (rupture of blood cells) and may also cause internal bleeding. [5]

Originally posted by Drala
Please folow this idea, EthylBenzene is made from Catalyzing Benzene and Ethylene with acids....

Ethylbenzene is an organic compound with the formula C6H5CH2CH3. This aromatic hydrocarbon is important in the petrochemical industry as an intermediate in the production of styrene, which in turn is used for making polystyrene, a common plastic material. Although often present in small amounts in crude oil, ethylbenzene is produced in bulk quantities by combining benzene and ethylene in an acid-catalyzed chemical reaction:

C6H6 + C2H4 → C6H5CH2CH3

True. But, given that we're talking about an industrial process as opposed to a reaction that readily occurs in nature, there are important questions to ask when looking at this information.

First, what kind of acid is used to catalyze this reaction? Butanedioic acid (aka succinic acid, which is a component of sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate, the surfactant used in the Corexit products and present as an impurity in the product, not a major component) isn't a strong enough acid to catalyze that reaction. Further, the sodium salt of DOSS is actually the basic form of the compound, not the acid form, which would be called dioctyl sulfosuccinic acid. The types of acids used in the ethylbenzene process are very strong Lewis acids, like AlCl3 (I don't know how to do subscripts on here, so I apologize for bad chemistry "grammar"), BF3, FeCl3, etc.

Second, what are the reaction condition under which this reaction occurs? At a temperature of 85-95C minimum and at a pressure of approximately 7 bar i.e. at seven times the atmospheric pressure at sea level. Further, we also have to take into account the relative concentrations of the reactants in the medium in which the reaction is occurring and if any of the reactants are going to preferentially react with other chemical species present. Just based on the low temperature and pressure involved, I think this reaction would be negligible. But we'd need to know the composition of the crude that came from the blow-out to really prove or disprove that.

Personally, based on this information, I'd throw in behind the hypothesis that the ethylbenzene being detected is from the crude itself, not a reaction between crude components catalyzed by Corexit. And this is coming from someone that hates Nalco.

Im no petrol expert, but is it not true that alot of oil is radioactive? And wasn't it BP that furnished the scientists for the after spill investigations? Perhaps the spray they added was to keep the oil diluted enough that the radiation levels wouldn't be significantly above backround levels. Stuff is gettin weird. Can a chemist chime in sometime?

reply to post by iterationzero


Ethylene (IUPAC name: ethene) is a gaseous rganic compound with the formula C2H4. It is the simplest alkene (older name: olefin from its oil-forming property). Because it contains a carbon-carbon double bond, ethylene is classified as an unsaturated hydrocarbon. Ethylene is widely used in industry and is also a plant hormone.[2] Ethylene is the most produced organic compound in the world; global production of ethylene exceeded 107 million tonnes in 2005.[3] To meet the ever increasing demand for ethylene, sharp increases in production facilities have been added globally, particularly in the Persian Gulf countries.

Benzene is an rganic chemical compound with the molecular formula C6H6. It is sometimes abbreviated Ph–H. Benzene is a colorless and highly flammable liquid with a sweet smell. Because it is a known carcinogen, its use as an additive in gasoline is now limited, but it is an important industrial solvent and precursor in the production of drugs, plastics, synthetic rubber, and dyes. Benzene is a natural constituent of crude oil, and may be synthesized from other compounds present in petroleum. Benzene is an aromatic hydrocarbon and the second [n]-annulene ([6]-annulene), a cyclic hydrocarbon with a continuous pi bond. It is also related to the functional group arene which is a generalized structure of benzene.

As it says in the part you quoted me....its rganic chemistry....it will readily occur in nature...thats the nature of the name i think. Not industrial like you suggested....and acid or alk is really just hydrogen and oxygen factors in a solution....so safe to say there is plenty of hydrogen to fuel a acid reaction in the ocean...water being dihydrogen oxide(2H0=H2O)

And the chmical reaction in the ethylbenzene you quoted does not include temperature as part of the equation...perhpas that is because is not really temperature dependant...usually heat is mentioned if it is an important factor. obviously if they are in extremes it would affect things i am sure. but its based in organic chemistry so its a given the temperature is viable for organic reactions(life to live)....

Also nothing needs to react based on the highlighted effects of the corexit on other test subjects...the clotting and internal bleeding is just like the part of the bird deaths that is "unexplained trauma"... i suggest its related...

Originally posted by Drala
reply to post by iterationzero

 

As it says in the part you quoted me....its

rganic chemistry....it will readily occur in nature...thats the nature of the name i think. Not industrial like you suggested....

That's a common misconception that stems from the rise in popularity of "organic" products at the store. Chemically speaking, organic just means carbon-based. There are an enormous number of reactions that won't readily occur in nature but will occur under the right conditions in a laboratory.

and acid or alk is really just hydrogen and oxygen factors in a solution....so safe to say there is plenty of hydrogen to fuel a acid reaction in the ocean...water being dihydrogen oxide(2H0=H2O)

First, the dissociation of water into a proton (hydrogen ion) and a hydroxide ion occurs at a very low rate and in equal proportions. That's why water isn't inherently acidic or basic in the absence of other compounds, but neutral. And to catalyze the reaction between ethylene and benzene, you need a strong Lewis acid.

And the chmical reaction in the ethylbenzene you quoted does not include temperature as part of the equation

I quoted the reaction you posted, which was from Wikipedia. The reaction, which you initially quoted, also doesn't explicitly mention an acid catalyst in the reaction. Wikipedia is hardly the best or most comprehensive source to use when you're looking for information on chemical reactions.

...perhpas that is because is not really temperature dependant...usually heat is mentioned if it is an important factor. obviously if they are in extremes it would affect things i am sure.

The Wikipedia article you're using as a source for information on the synthesis of ethylbenzene is pretty far from complete or comprehensive. There are several texts that show the reaction and its required conditions in far more detail if you choose to look for them.

but its based in organic chemistry so its a given the temperature is viable for organic reactions(life to live)....

You're misunderstanding what organic means from a chemistry perspective. Whether a compound or reaction is defined as organic only depends on whether or not carbon is present. It has nothing to do with it occurring under the same conditions as life.

Also nothing needs to react based on the highlighted effects of the corexit on other test subjects...the clotting and internal bleeding is just like the part of the bird deaths that is "unexplained trauma"... i suggest its related...

You're right, Corexit is plenty toxic on its own. There's no need to invent chemical reactions that aren't taking place to explain it. Ethylbenzene is present, naturally, in crude oil. I'm simply suggesting that this is the source of the ethylbenzene found in patients, not a reaction that is extremely unlikely to occur at atmospheric pressure and relatively low temperature.