Toluene health effects

Specific contaminants that are components of total petroleum hydrocarbons, such as BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene), n-hexane, jet fuels, fuel oils, and mineral-based crankcase oil have been studied and a number of toxicological profiles have been developed on individual constituents and petroleum products. However, the character of the total petroleum hydrocarbons has not been studied extensively and no profiles have been developed. Although several toxicological profiles have been developed for petroleum products and for specific chemicals found in petroleum, the total petroleum hydrocarbon test results have been too nonspecific to be of real value in the assessment of its potential health effects. 

Low LK, Meek JR, Mackerer CR Health effects of the alkylbenzenes. I. Toluene. Toxicol Ind Health 4 49-75, 1988... 

Samples of your urine can be tested for the presence of cresols, although this test is not routinely available in hospitals and clinics. This test will not tell you whether or not you will have any adverse health effects. The urine sample would have to be taken within 1 day of your exposure to be valid. Because cresols occur naturally in people, ant at levels that very from one individual to the next, results from tests for cresol exposure should be compared to values obtained from the same individual either before exposure or several days after exposure. Small changes might be caused by variation in daily diet. You should also be aware that an increased presence of cresols in the urine could indicate exposure to toluene, a related compound, rather than cresols. However, toluene exposure would also result in elevated urinary levels of hippuric acid cresol exposure would not. 

Important commercial isocyanates include the diisocyanate monomers toluene diisocyanate (TDI), methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI), and MDI-, TDI-, and HDI-based isocyanates (e.g., prepolymers and polyisocyanates). World-wide production volume is estimated at over 12 billion lb. Isocyanates (diisocyanates, polyisocyanates, and prepolymers) all cause similar health effects, most commonly asthma [32]. Isocyanates are reported to be the leading attributable cause of work-related asthma [16]. Isocyanates are potent sensitizers that can trigger a severe and potentially fatal asthma attack in sensitized persons at very low isocyanate exposure levels [16]. Toluene diisocyanate is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen by National Toxicology Program. 

Benzene is one of the major chemicals produced by the petroleum industry. More than 1.6 billion gallons are produced each year by cracking and reforming various petroleum fractions. Most of this is used in the production of styrene, which is then polymerized to polystyrene. Other arenes that are made in large amounts include toluene (830 million gallons), cumene, o-xylene, and p-xylene. At one time, benzene was an important solvent in the organic laboratory. Recently, however, its use has been phased out because of its potential adverse health effects. Long exposure to benzene has been shown to lead to bone marrow depression and leukemia. 

Use and exposure Technical grade dinitrotoluene is an oily liquid and easily combustible. Dinitrotoluenes are used primarily as chemical intermediates in the production of toluene diamines, diisocyanates, polyurethane foams, dyes, propellants, and polymers, and in the explosives industry." " " Toxicity and health effects Dinitrotoluene is known to cause adverse health effects on the blood, liver, kidney, and CNS in laboratory animals after an acute oral exposure. The animals also showed cyanosis and ataxia. Prolonged periods of exposure caused muscular weakness, poor muscular coordination, tremors, convulsions, ataxia, and paralysis. Industrial workers have developed headache, appetite loss, giddiness, dizziness, nausea, insomnia, and tingling pains in the extremities after chronic exposure to dinitrotoluene. - ... 

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. There is not enough information available to determine if gasoline causes birth defects or affects reproduction. For more information on the health effects of gasoline, see Chapter 2 and the ATSDR toxicological profiles for benzene, toluene, xylene, ethylbenzene, 1,2-dibromoethane, 1,3-butadiene, and lead. 

I, 2-dibromoethane, ethylbenzene, lead, toluene, and xylene (ATSDR 1989, 1990, 1991). In addition, this profile will not discuss the health effects associated with exposure to automotive gasoline exhaust or combustion products of gasoline because these products contain other substances that are not constituents of gasoline itself. 

Aromatic EC5-EC9 Exposures Associated with Health Effects - Benzene—Inhalation 6-2 Aromatic EC5-EC9 Exposures Associated with Health Effects - Toluene—Inhalation... 

Figure 6-6. Aromatic EC5-ECg Exposures Associated with Health Effects --------------------Oral - Toluene and Ethylbenzene---------------...

Oral Exposure. The oral MRLs for each of the BTEXs, and the EPA cancer risk for benzene, can be used to assess the potential for health effects for each of these compounds individually. No oral MRLs exist for ethylbenzene, but the limited oral data for this compound are reasonably similar to those for toluene. These MRLs and their associated effects, and the available EPA cancer assessments, are summarized in Table 6-4. Effects of oral exposure to these compounds are similar to those of inhalation exposure. In addition, renal and hepatic effects appear to be sensitive effects of xylene exposure. 

While individual VOCs like benzene and toluene have been linked with acute myeloid leukaemia and neurotoxicity, respectively [ 111,112], epidemiological studies of the health effects of indoor VOCs have related TVOC rather than individual VOC levels to exposure. The outcomes of such studies have been mixed [113]. In some cases,positive associations between SBS,building-related illness or multiple chemical sensitivity syndromes and TVOC levels were observed... 

Antti-Poika M, Juntunen J, Matikainen E, et al Occupational exposure to toluene neurotoxic effects with special emphasis on drinking habits. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 56 31-40, 1985... 

The rotogravure printing industry is umqi with r ect to the use of pure toluene/ therefore offering research conditions not foued anywhere else at workplaces. In January 2002, after almost ten years of rraiearch, the Institution for statutory accident insurance and prevention in the printing aid paper processing industry presented the final report of their field study on Toluene in the rotogravure industry . This report complete the most comprehensive study ever perform to assess possible adverse health effects of toluene exposure (Neubert et al 2001). 

Toluene cannot be substituted in the rotogravure printing industry - vms a statement from all interriewees in the sector. So if it cannot be substituted, and if epidemiological data indicates adverse health effects, then industry has only one K)ssibili1y to reduce the exposure situation by using closed systems and/or reducing the number of people exposed ... 

Gericke C, Hanke B, Beckmann G, Baltes MM, Kiihl KP, Neubert D (2001) Multicenter field trial on possible health effects of toluene. III. Evaluation of effects after long-term exposure. Toxicology 168 185-209... 

Three of the major aromatics present in gasoline are benzene, toluene and xylene (o-, m- and p ). Although the benzene content is generally limited in many countries either by law or by agreement, because of the well-documented health effects associated with this material, there is need for a detailed study of combustion changes that occur with the other aromatics leading to formation of benzene. 

Another method for analyzing the toxicity of emissions is to relate them to the US EPA s RfD for assessing the risk of health effects of systemic toxicity (i.e., toxicity other than cancer and gene mutations). RfD is an approximation of the daily exposure for which no effect would be expected over a lifetime [71]. Instead of using LD50 values from the WAR algorithm, which are based on various animal studies, RfD appHes directly to human health. The RfD values for mercury, benzene, toluene, formaldehyde, and hexane are 6 x 10, 4.0 x 10 , 0.08, 0.2, and 0.03 mg/kg/day, respectively. The inverse of these RfD are characterization factors (see Table 3.1), which can be... 

Toluene is a representative example of aromatic compounds investigated due to its extensive use in industrial processes as solvent or as feedstock for the production of polymers or adhesives, but also due to its existence in petroleum-derived fuels. In a close relation, catalytic total oxidation takes into consideration the serious environmental concern generated by its perilous health effects but also by its contribution to global warming smog processes as a result of the emission of toluene from both stationary and mobile sources. 

Wood RW, Grubman J, Weiss B Nitrous oxide self-administration by the squirrel monkey. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 202 491 99, 1977 Wood RW, Coleman JB, Schuler R, et al Anticonvulsant and antipunishment effects of toluene. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 230 407 12, 1984 World Health Organization The lCD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders Clinical Descriptions and Diagnostic Guidelines. Geneva, World Health Organization, 1992... 

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