Are chemical dispersants toxic to marine life ?
For the majority of laboratory tests the Australian approved Oil Spill Dispersants rate predominantly as “slightly toxic” to “practically non-toxic” by the International Maritime Organization/GESAMP classification system. All dispersants approved for use within Australian waters must pass laboratory acute toxicity testing requirements for two temperate and two tropical marine species as specified by the National Plan protocol. The toxicity of dispersed oil is primarily due to the toxic components of the oil itself. Many laboratory studies on a range of test species have confirmed the fact that “the acute toxicity of dispersed oil generally does not reside in the dispersant but in the more toxic fractions of the oil”. The toxicity of Oil Spill Dispersants to aquatic organisms under laboratory conditions appears to relate primarily to the chemical composition of the individual dispersant.
