None who came into contact with the chemicals
of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill cleanup...
are the same....
Not the wildlife... especially not the herring...
& certainly not the people.
This is a quilt purchased from Riki Ott, who made it.
It is now owned by the Valdez Museum
... and on display there.
The Fish of the Sea - midi
A theory:
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That those damaged by chemicals (fish or human) will have damaged blood right away that doesn't go away... no matter what else in the way of complications later... they will still have damaged red blood cells by at least a slightly lower red blood cell count than is normal for them... though it may be borderline normal... Look at the blood under the microscope... as this doctor recommended:
If the fish/human was damaged by oil... it is not hemolytic anemia... but aplastic anemia... damage to red, white and platelet blood components of the blood.
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Of course, with overexposure to 2-butoxyethanol, per it's MSDS there is also central nervous system damage.
For fish... they won't be able to swim straight. For humans they will be really, really grouchy... personality changes, etc. Check the list of what 2-butoxyethanol does... & Who knows... maybe someone can have both hemolytic anemia and aplastic anemia from damage from this chemical and from the oil...
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Preliminary indication may be the blood counts
per any blood - tests
since that work date...
But a lab would have to look at the red blood cells under a microscope.
If your exhaustion has no other known cause....
Check your blood!
Worker.... Please help the doctors
& those who care about helping you
to know what the 'patterns' are.
It surely is in knowing what happened to your blood!
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What do your blood counts show? You can just call and ask any clinic which has done blood work since Aug, 1989. They will know the RBCs, WBCs and PTLs It's a start!
Then you will know whether to check for further testing for chemicals in your system... or for oil that might be residual in your system. There are experts in such testing... but regular labs can't do it; you'll need to ask your doctor to consult with an expert & there are only a couple of labs in the country that can check for chemicals/oil.
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And, if there is something wrong...
the experts in chemicals have suggestions for your doctor on
WHAT TO DO
And what are your other symptoms?
Some workers have reported swollen gall bladder, enlarged spleen, liver, testicle,
odd bumps showing up all over their body
Dry, cracking skin - We often take the 'skin organ' for granted, don't we?
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Do you know any people who lived in Valdez in 1989? Where are they NOW? |
| Cleanup operations included skimming oil from the water surface with towed booms, as shown above. Two boats are towing the boom (only one is visible in this photo). Oil is collecting within the boom, and a small skimmer at the apex of the boom is removing the oil from the water surface. The skimmed oil is being pumped through a hose into the barge that is following the skimmer. NOAA photo |
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Skimming Operation Oil being skimmed from the sea surface. Here, two boats are towing a collection boom. Oil concentrated within the boom is being picked up by the skimmer (the vessel at the apex of the boom). NOAA Photo |
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workers 
April 5, 2003