A continuous 20 mile long plume of oil found at a depth of 3600 feet has persisted for months, unaffected weathering and biodegradation, near the blown out BP well, according to a peer reviewed report published in Science magazine, written by oceanographers from Woods Hole Oceanographic institute. Oil that reaches the surface layer ocean becomes less toxic over time as evaporation and biodegradation remove toxic aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene. Toxic components of the oil found at 3600 feet have remained at full strength.
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