Summary: Although dispersants have been used to help clean up oil spills since the 1960s, it wasn't until the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico that these chemicals made their way into the public consciousness. Use of dispersants always involves an environmental tradeoff, but the Deepwater Horizon situation presents special considerations because the chemicals are being used a mile underwater for the first time ever. In this podcast, Dana Wetzel discusses the dispersants used in the Deepwater Horizon spill and research needs regarding how these chemicals may affect aquatic species. Wetzel is a senior scientist and program manager at the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida.
