Authors : When oil disasters happen , responders are faced with tough choices . To prevent BP oil spill in Gulf of Mexico , huge amounts of chemical dispersants were used . Critics say adding more chemicals to oil is scary trade - off but can be worth it . Like those responding to forest fires , oil-spill responders are charged with reducing damages in the face of a crisis , and they do n't have the luxury to conduct a real-time case study on dispersants ' efficacy . Dispersants work like dishwater detergent to wipe apart droplets of oil , authors say .
Authors : When oil disasters happen , responders are faced with tough choices . To prevent BP oil spill in Gulf of Mexico , huge amounts of chemical dispersants were used . Critics say adding more chemicals to oil is scary trade - off but can be worth it . Dispersants work like dishwater detergent to wipe apart droplets of oil , authors say .