Effects on Health

Little information is available about the health effects that may be caused by fuel oils. People who use kerosene stoves for cooking do not seem to have any health problems related to their exposure.Breathing some fuel oils for short periods may cause nausea, eye irritation, increased blood pressure, headache, light-headedness, loss of appetite, poor coordination, and difficulty concentrating. Breathing diesel fuel vapors for long periods may cause kidney damage and lower your blood's ability to clot.Drinking small amounts of kerosene may cause vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, stomach swelling and cramps, drowsiness, restlessness, painful breathing, irritability, and death unconsciousness. Drinking large amounts of kerosene may cause convulsions, coma, or. Skin contact with kerosene for short periods may cause itchy, red, sore, or peeling skin. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has determined that some fuel oils (heavy) may possibly cause cancer in humans, but for other fuel oils (light) there is not enough information to make a determination.Effects on ChildrenChildren are more likely to be exposed to kerosene accidentally than adults. In particular, children that are 5 years old or younger often mistakenly drank kerosene because it was accessible to them.Numerous case studies have described death following the accidental ingestion of kerosene by children (usually under the age of 5 but as old 15 years). The deaths are usually attributed to lipoidal pneumonia that was probably induced by the aspiration of the kerosene. Specific respiratory effects associated with death from kerosene ingestion include pneumothorax, emphysema and pneumonitis. Even if the kerosene is initially ingested (accidental ingestion offuel oils is most often noted in children under 5 years of age), the respiratory toxicity is usually attributable to the aspiration of kerosene into the lungs during vomiting. There are epidemiological data that found no evidence of respiratory toxicity in children from exposure to kerosene vapor and combustion products from kerosene stoves used for cooking; however, the importance of such exposures to individuals living near hazardous waste sites or in the workplace is uncertain.RecommendationsThe Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Air Force Office of Safety and Health (AFOSH) have set a permissible exposure level (PEL) of 400 parts of petroleum distillates per million parts of air (400 ppm) for an 8-hour workday, 40-hour workweek.The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends that average workplace air levels not exceed 350 milligrams of petroleum distillates per cubic meter of air (350 mg/m³) for a 40-hour workweek.The Department of Transportation (DOT) lists fuel oils as hazardous materials and, therefore, regulates their transportation.Source: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). 1995.http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp75-c2.pdfFuel Oil # 2Diesel fuels, and typical home heating oil and high aromatic content home heating oil, are forms of no. 2 fuel oil. Specifications for both middle distillate heating fuels and transportation fuels are similar. The final products may be treated as required for their particular use, but they are otherwise virtually indistinguishable on the basis of their gross physical or chemical properties. Diesel oil 2 is similar in chemical composition to No. 2 Fuel Oil, with the exception of additives. Along with diesel oil, typical heating fuel oil is a type of No. 2 Fuel oil. Fuel oils are comprised of mixtures of petroleum distillate hydrocarbons. The various kinds of fuel oils are obtained by distilling crude oil, and removing the different fractions. According to the U.S. Coast Guard Emergency Response Notification System (ERNS), No. 2 Fuel Oil is one of the most commonly spilled petroleum products in the U.S.Effects on HealthShort-term hazards of the some of the lighter, more volatile and water soluble compounds (such as toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes) in No. 2 Fuel Oil include potential acute toxicity to aquatic life in the water column (especially in relatively confined areas) as well as potential inhalation hazards. Long-term potential hazards of some of the lighter, more volatile and water soluble compounds (such as toluene and xylenes) in No. 2 Fuel Oil include contamination of groundwater. Long-term water uses threatened by spills include potable (ground) water supply. Chronic effects of some of the constituents in No. 2 Fuel Oil (toluene, xylene, naphthalenes, alkyl benzenes, and various alkyl PAHs) include changes in the liver and harmful effects on the kidneys, heart, lungs, and nervous system. Increased rates of cancer, immunological, reproductive, fetotoxic, genotoxic effects have also been associated with some of the compounds found in No. 2 Fuel Oil (see entries on individual compounds for more details).

Source: http://www.nature.nps.gov/hazardssafety/toxic/fueloi2h.pdf

Fuel Oil # 4No. 4 Fuel Oil is a heavier distillate No. 2 Fuel Oil, yet lighter than No. 5. Fuel Oil. No. 4 Fuel Oil is usually a 'light' residual, but sometimes is, or contains, a heavy distillate. No. 4 Fuel Oil can be prepared by combining 40 percent No. 2 Fuel Oil with 60 percent No. 6 Fuel Oil. Fuel oil numbers 4, 5, and 6 are commonly known as "residual oils" since they are manufactured in whole or in part from distillation residues from refinery processing. No. 4 Fuel Oil is intended for use in atomizing type burners that atomize oils of higher viscosity than domestic burners can handle.Effects on HealthChronic effects of some of the constituents in No. 4 Fuel Oil (such as naphthalenes) include changes in the liver and kidney. Due to their relative persistence and potential for various chronic effects (like carcinogenicity) PAHs (and particularly the alkyl PAHs) can contribute to long-term (chronic) hazards of No. 4 Fuel Oil in contaminated soils, sediments, and groundwater. No. 4 Fuel Oil can be directly toxic to some forms of aquatic life, can coat birds. Certain components of No. 4 Fuel Oil, such as PAHs, may be carcinogenic to animals and humans. There is sufficient evidence for the carcinogenicity in experimental animals of residual (heavy) fuel oils and cracked residue derived from the oil refining of crude oil. Residual (heavy) fuel oils are possibly carcinogenic to humans.Source: http://www.nature.nps.gov/hazardssafety/toxic/fueloil4.pdfFuel Oil # 6No. 6 Fuel Oil is a dense, viscous oil produced by blending heavy residual oils with a lighter oil (often No. 2 fuel oil) to meet specifications for viscosity and pour point. These oils can occasionally form an emulsion, but usually only slowly and after a period of days. Because of its high viscosity, beached oil tends to remain on the surface rather than penetrate sediments. Light accumulations usually form a “bathtub ring” at the high-tide line; heavy accumulations can pool on the beach.Exposure to Heavy Fuel OilsHeavy fuel oils are stored and handled in closed systems and involve the use of insulated storage tanks and lagged and trace-heated transfer lines. Exposure to fuel oil is therefore limited, except on tank filling and during maintenance operations.Effects on HealthIn the aquatic environment, the main concern is the aromatics in No. 6 Fuel Oil. Benzene Toluene, Ethyl Benzene, and Toluene (BTEX) compounds, although they do not make up a large percentage of this product, are present and could represent an acute toxicity risk. Due to their relative persistence and potential for various chronic effects (like carcinogenicity), the heavier aromatic PAHs, (and particularly the alkyl PAHs) in No. 6 Fuel Oil can pose long term hazards in contaminated soils, sediments, and groundwater. No. 6 Fuel Oil would be expected to be a skin, eye and respiratory irritant and a CNS depressant from inhalation of large amounts of the vapor or mist. Exposure to hydrogen sulphide at concentrations above the recommended occupational exposure standard may cause headache, dizziness, irritation of the eyes, upper respiratory tract, mouth and digestive tract, convulsions, respiratory paralysis, unconsciousness and even death. Prolonged or repeated contact with the skin may produce a defatting dermatitis with dryness and cracking. This product may contain substances which have caused kidney damage in laboratory animals.RecommendationsStorage tanks in land based applications should be surrounded by oil tight bund walls to prevent escape of heavy fuel oil into the environment in the event of a major spillage or tank failure. A marine spillage should be reported to the nearest coastal state and additional guidance sought from the owner of the vessel, or the charterer. The cleaning of combustion deposits from boilers and furnaces is a specialist operation; suitable breathing apparatus must be used to prevent the inhalation of dust and ash.When it is required to dispose of fuel oil, for example, following a spillage or tank cleaning operations, this should be done through a recognized waste contractor. In marine applications, all waste fuel oil should be collected and disposed of on land in accordance with local regulations

Source: http://www.dec.state.ak.us/spar/perp/response/sum_fy05/041207201/fact/noaa_971_no_6.pdfhttp://www.nature.nps.gov/hazardssafety/toxic/fueloil6.pdfhttp://www.accede.org/prestige/documentos/Tox_fuel_pesado.