Applying dispersants to spilled crude oil results in an oil in water dispersion of microscopic oil droplets that soon dilutes to levels below 1 ppm oil. These levels are substantially below those known to induce acute toxicity in 96 - hour tests. We show here that oil hydrocarbons are biodegraded very rapidly in such situations (50% loss in 4 days in this experiment), and that no increase in acute toxicity to mysids ( Americamysis bahia ) is seen during this biodegradation, or over the following 20 days as the oil is further degraded (78% loss of detectable hydrocarbons in this experiment).
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