There's oil in human skin, right? Bio-Remediation or Bio-Hazard.....

[TalkingDog]

With moderately gross pics.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/riki-ott/bio-remediation-or-bio-ha_b_720461.html

Ocean Springs, AL. A grandmother made me rethink all the bio-remediation hype. The "naturally-occurring oil-eating bacteria" have been newsworthy of late as they are supposedly going to come to the rescue of President Obama and BP and make good on their very premature statement that "the oil is gone."

We were talking about subsurface oil in the Gulf when she said matter-of-factly, "The bacteria are running amok with the dispersants." What? "Those oil-eating bacteria - I think they're running amok and causing skin rashes." My mind reeled. Could we all have missed something so simple?

The idea was crazy but, in the context of the Gulf situation - an outbreak of mysterious persistent rashes from southern Louisiana across to just north of Tampa, Florida, coincident with BP's oil and chemical release, it seemed suddenly worthy of investigating.

[kestrel91316]

1. The oil in petroleum is, well, a petroleum product. The oil in human skin ISN'T.

The only thing they have in common is that they are, chemically, oils. I will leave it to the chemists on DU to explain the concept in more detail.

The microbiologist in me thinks your idea is silly, BTW. Bacteria that feed on our skin's natural oils have been with us since time immemorial. They are what makes our belly buttons and skin folds stinky if we don't clean them. They are not the same bacteria that feed on petroleum products.

[TalkingDog]

2. Actually that was a joke..... but my concern is real.

n/t

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

6. Not really.

[TalkingDog]

7. Which isn't "really" ?

Joke?

Concern?

Dark Humor much?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

9. tin foil.

[davidinalameda]

4. my belly button does NOT stink

thank you very much!

:bounce:

[dipsydoodle]

3. I have to assume that's a joke.

Just one in poor taste.

Next up - lock your olive oil away incase the bacteria eat it. :sarcasm:

edit to add : you posted same time as me.......lol.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

5. Come to the rescue of President Obama?

Just what does Obama need rescuing from? Unless you're one of the nuts that blames him for the spill.

Btw, Ricki Ott is a kook her describes herself as an "Exxon Valdez survivor."

She's one of those people who claims there are secret black ops Blackwater mercenaries who are secretly spreading dispersant at night, and as evidence they offer pictures of BP clean up workers working during the day.

And now as proof of the super secret magic dispersant harming people, she offers pictures of patients with scabies.

:shrug:

[TalkingDog]

8. I'm not offering an opnion on what she writes. You obviously have one.

Fine.

I think if we IGNORE this the government is going to be accused of hiding something.

Of course, if they pay too much attention, they will be accused of admitting something.

I get it.

But people are concerned. The government is in place to address people's concern.