September 1996 |
ToxFAQs™ |
for |
Automotive Gasoline |
(Gasolina
de Automóvil) |
|
|
|
This fact sheet answers the most frequently
asked health questions about automotive gasoline. For more
information, you may call the ATSDR Information Center at
1-888-422-8737. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries
about hazardous substances and their health effects. This
information is important because this substance may harm you.
The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend
on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits
and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
|
|
SUMMARY: Exposure to automotive
gasoline most likely occurs from breathing its vapor at
a service station while filling a car's fuel tank. At
high levels, automotive gasoline is irritating to the
lungs when breathed in and irritating to the lining of
the stomach when swallowed. Exposure to high levels may
also cause harmful effects to the nervous system. Automotive
gasoline has been found in at least 23 of the 1,430 National
Priorities List sites identified by the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA). |
|
|
What
is automotive gasoline? |
The gasoline discussed in this fact sheet
is automotive used as a fuel for engines in cars. Gasoline
is a colorless, pale brown, or pink liquid, and is very flammable.
Gasoline is a manufactured mixture that
does not exist naturally in the environment. Gasoline is produced
from petroleum in the refining process.
Typically, gasoline contains more than
150 chemicals, including small amounts of benzene, toluene,
automotive gasolineylene, and sometimes lead. How the gasoline
is made determines which chemicals are present in the gasoline
mixture and how much of each is present. The actual composition
varies with the source of the crude petroleum, the manufacturer,
and the time of year.
|
back to top |
|
What
happens to automotive gasoline when it enters the environment? |
- Small amounts of the chemicals present in gasoline evaporate
into the air when you fill the gas tank in your car or when
gasoline is accidentally spilled onto surfaces and soils
or into surface waters.
- Other chemicals in gasoline dissolve in water after spills
to surface waters or underground storage tank leaks into
the groundwater.
- In surface releases, most chemicals in gasoline will probably
evaporate; others may dissolve and be carried away by water;
a few will probably stick to soil.
- The chemicals that evaporate are broken down by sunlight
and other chemicals in the air.
- The chemicals that dissolve in water also break down quickly
by natural processes.
|
back to top |
|
How
might I be exposed to automotive gasoline? |
- Breathing vapors at a service station when filling the
car's fuel tank is the most likely way to be exposed.
- Working at a service station.
- Using equipment that runs on gasoline, such as a lawn
mower.
- Drinking contaminated water.
- Being close to a spot where gasoline has spilled or leaked
into the soil.
|
back to top |
|
How
can automotive gasoline affect my health? |
Many of the harmful effects seen after
exposure to gasoline are due to the individual chemicals in
the gasoline mixture, such as benzene and lead. Inhaling or
swallowing large amounts of gasoline can cause death.
Inhaling high concentrations of gasoline
is irritating to the lungs when breathed in and irritating
to the lining of the stomach when swallowed. Gasoline is also
a skin irritant. Breathing in high levels of gasoline for
short periods or swallowing large amounts of gasoline may
also cause harmful effects on the nervous system.
Serious nervous system effects include
coma and the inability to breathe, while less serious effects
include dizziness and headaches.
There is not enough information available
to determine if gasoline causes birth defects or affects reproduction.
|
back to top |
|
How
likely is automotive gasoline to cause cancer? |
The Department of Health and Human Services
(DHHS) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer
(IARC) have not classified automotive gasoline for carcinogenicity.
Automotive gasoline is currently undergoing review by the
EPA for cancer classification.
Some laboratory animals that breathed
high concentrations of unleaded gasoline vapors continuously
for 2 years developed liver and kidney tumors. However, there
is no evidence that exposure to gasoline causes cancer in
humans.
|
back to top |
|
Is
there a medical test to show whether I've been exposed to automotive
gasoline? |
Laboratory tests are available that can
measure elevated blood or urine levels of lead (as an indication
of exposure to leaded gasoline only), benzene, or other substances
that may result from exposure to gasoline or other sources.
These methods are sensitive enough to measure background levels
and levels where health effects may occur. These tests aren't
available in most doctors' offices, but can be done at special
laboratories that have the right equipment.
|
back to top |
|
Has the federal government made recommendations to protect human health? |
The EPA has established many regulations
to control air pollution. These are designed to protect the
public from the possible harmful health effects of gasoline.
The American Conference of Governmental
Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) set a maximum level of 890 milligrams
of gasoline per cubic meter of air (890 mg/m³) for an
8-hour workday, 40-hour workweek.
|
back to top |
|
Glossary |
Carcinogenicity: Ability to cause cancer.
CAS: Chemical Abstracts Service.
Crude petroleum: Petroleum that has not
been processed.
Dissolve: To disappear gradually.
Evaporate: To change into a vapor or
a gas.
Irritant: A substance that causes an
abnormal reaction.
Mixture: A combination of two or more
components.
Refining process: The process by which
petroleum is purified to form gasoline.
Tumor: An abnormal mass of tissue.
|
back to top |
|
References |
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry (ATSDR). 1996. Managing Hazardous Materials Incidents.
Volume III Medical Management Guidelines for Acute
Chemical Exposures: Automotive Gasoline. Atlanta,
GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health
Service.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry (ATSDR). 1995. Toxicological
Profile for automotive gasoline. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.
|
back to top |
|
Where can I get more information? |
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational
and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize,
evaluate, and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous
substances. You can also contact your community or state health
or environmental quality department if you have any more questions
or concerns. For more information, contact:
|
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology
1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32
Atlanta, GA 30333
Phone: 1-888-42-ATSDR (1-888-422-8737)
FAX: (770)-488-4178
Email: ATSDRIC@cdc.gov
|
back to top |
|