More bad news for BP as arsenic levels rise in seawater around the Gulf of Mexico

British scientists warned that the oil spill is increasing the level of arsenic in the ocean, and could further add to the devastating impact on the already sensitive environment....Imperial College London researchers warned the effect on the environment could worsen unless clean up efforts were hastened. Researchers published a study which found oil stops the ocean’s natural filtering process of arsenic. They said the arsenic then gets “magnified” up the food chain, as fish eat small amounts of the deadly poison and may eventually impact humans, researchers said.  Professor Mark Sephton said arsenic, which is found in seawater, was normally filtered out of the ocean when it combined with sediment on the sea floor.“But oil spills stop the normal process because the oil combines with sediment and it leads to an accumulation of arsenic in the water over time," he said. "Arsenic only needs to be a 10th of a part per billion to cause problems.” He added: “Our study is a timely reminder that oil spills could create a toxic ticking time bomb, which could threaten the fabric of the marine ecosystem in the future.”