Crude Oil & Heating Oil Exposure Effects, Exposure Limits, Health Hazards

Hazard list for exposure to crude oil spills: liquid, fumes, soot, smoke - Contamination of seafood from oil spills; Hazard list for exposure to No. 2 home heating oil; heating oil exposure limits for liquid or airborne contact; Oil tank smells & odors, sources of heating oil odors in or at buildings
HEATING OIL EXPOSURE HAZARDS, LIMITS
Questions & Answers about the effects of exposure to home heating oil & oil fumes
References

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Why do heating oil storage tanks leak? This document explains the common reasons for oil tank leaks in or from home heating oil storage tanks. Both underground tank leaks and above ground storage tank leak causes are discussed. Oil tank leaks are caused by corrosion, mechanical damage, soil conditions, other factors which are explained here.

Readers should also see OIL TANK SAFETY where we describe the flammability and explosion hazards of fuel oil fumes and where we provide an extensive list of hazards and safety concerns for fuel oil. Also see OIL TANK LEAK ADVICE for our detailed advice on handling leaky oil tanks as well as links to oil tank leak regulations for U.S. states and Canadian provinces. Readers should also see BOILER NOISE SMOKE ODORS for a discussion of flue gas leaks, smells, and hazards from the combustion products of oil burning heating appliances.

Health Hazards of Human Exposure to Heating Oil or Crude Oil Fumes or Liquid

Information on this topic is organized into the sections listed just below. Also see OIL TANK SAFETY and FUEL OIL TYPES & CHARACTERISTICS.

HEATING OIL EXPOSURE HAZARDS, LIMITS - Heating Oil Exposure Effects, Exposure Limits, Health Hazards
Exposure to Crude Oil or Heating Oil Combustion Gas, Soot, Flue Gases
Exposure to Crude Oil or Heating Oil Fumes
Exposure to Crude Oil or Heating Oil Liquid
Exposure to Crude Oil or Heating Oil - contaminated fish - eating oil-contaminated seafood
Material Safety Data Sheets for Crude Oil and Refined Heating Oil Products
- Heating Oil Exposure Health Effects - introduction and general health effects
- MSDS Sheet for HOME HEATING OIL - Material Safety Data Sheets for No. 2 Heating Oil
- Exposure Limits for Home Heating Oil - Exposure LImits for Oil Exposure
- MSDS Sheet for CRUDE OIL - exposure hazards, personal protection advice, accidental release guidance
- MSDS Sheets for Gulf Oil Spill Dispersant Corexit - toxicity and MSDS sheets for Corexit®, Dispersit®, and other oil spill dispersant

Workers in the Gulf region are at risk from exertional heat stroke, and there can be short-term effects from fresh oil-spill fumes: affecting the eye, neurological system, and skin. Short term lung, kidney, and liver functions may be affected. Media reports and studies of oil spills do not address effects of long term or chronic exposure to crude oil spills, but sources indicate that as oil breaks down in water it becomes less toxic over time. - Reuters

OSHA's position and that of other expert sources such as the ATSDR is that modest typical residential exposure to heating oil fumes is a nuisance that may not pose a hazard to a healthy individual. Reuters reportedthat "Health and Human Services Department officials told a Congressional haring that little is known about the health impacts on people of oil spills." (Reuters, op cit. 6/23/10) We recommend monitoring results of "Assessing the Human Health Effects of the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill: An Institute of Medicine Workshop", June 22-23 2010. - Instutite of Medicine.

While the long term environmental effects of crude oil spills such as the 2010 Gulf Oil Spill are not yet clear, more immediate complaints of oil fumes ashore in Louisiana have been reported. Local health officials in that state have warned people with respiratory illness, asthma, or similar conditions to avoid breathing oil fumes and to "stay indoors".

The oil and oil fume toxicity, safety and MSDS data below provides a summary of possible health concerns from short term, chronic, or long term exposure to refined oil spills such as No. 2 home heating oil. We include links to Material Data Safety Sheets for Crude Oil MSDS as well as home heating oil MSDS where we provide more health related details.

Heating Oil Combustion Gas, Soot, Flue Gas Hazards

In understanding the health risks associated with exposure to home heating oil, it is useful to distinguish between exposure to the fuel itself or its fumes (discussed here) versus exposure to the combustion products of the fuel, such as oil burner exhaust, flue gases, smoke, soot, and the contents of those materials. Additional details about oil tank and heating oil safety hazards are at OIL TANK SAFETY.

Fossil Fuel Combustion Gas Hazards for Home Heating Oil: at COMBUSTION GASES & PARTICLE HAZARDS we discuss the hazards from burning fossil fuels to heat buildings or to make hot water. Discusses are the most likely hazards from combustible fuels, oil and gas, in or around buildings. Our quote below is from an MSDS example MSDS for No. 2 Fuel Oil from Hess Corporation.

WARNING: the burning of any hydrocarbon as a fuel in an area without adequate ventilation may result in hazardous levels of combustion products, including carbon monoxide, and inadequate oxygen levels, which may cause unconsciousness, suffocation, and death.

Below we turn to the exposure hazards to un-burned home heating oil liquid and fumes.

How can Exposure to Fuel Oils such as Kerosene or No. 2 Home Heating Oil Affect My Health?

Air Quality & Crude Oil Spill Fume & Smoke Hazards

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC) has reported the following possible hazards from exposure to oil spill fumes, smoke, or contaminated food, water, and oil dispersants: - quoting from original source 17 June 2010, http://emergency.cdc.gov/gulfoilspill2010/what_to_expect.asp

People can be exposed to hazardous substances related to the spill by breathing them (air), by swallowing them (food, water), or by touching them (skin). People should avoid close contact to the spill and fumes from any burning oil.

Air Quality:

Smell: People may be able to smell the oil spill from the shore. The odor comes from chemicals in the oil that people can smell at levels well below those that would make most people sick. However, exposure to low levels of these chemicals may cause irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, and skin. People with asthma or other lung diseases may be more sensitive to these effects.
Burning oil: When responders burn some of the oil, some “Particulate Matter” (PM) may reach the shore. PM is a mix of very small particles and liquid droplets found in the air. PM may pose a greater risk for people who have a chronic condition such as asthma or heart disease.

Watch out: If you smell gas or see smoke or know that fires are nearby, stay indoors, set your air conditioner to reuse indoor air, and avoid physical activities that put extra demands on your lungs and heart.

Food:

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are monitoring the oil spill and its potential impact on the safety of seafood harvested from the area. Although crude oil has the potential to taint seafood with flavors and odors caused by exposure to hydrocarbon chemicals, the public should not be concerned about the safety of seafood in the stores at this time. For more information about seafood and the oil spill, visit http://www.fda.gov/Food/ucm210436.htm

Water:

Drinking water and household water are not expected to be affected by the spill. However, water used for recreation may be affected. Swimming in water contaminated with chemicals from the oil spill could cause health effects. For more information about water and the oil spill, visit http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/oil_spill/information_residents.htm#5.

Follow local and state public health guidelines and warnings about the use of beaches and coastal water for swimming, boating, and fishing. For more information about beach safety, visit http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doc/2931/542551/.

Dispersants:

Oil spill dispersants break an oil slick into small drops. For most people, brief contact with a small amount of oil spill dispersants will do no harm. However, longer contact can cause a rash and dry skin. Dispersants can also irritate your eyes. Breathing or swallowing dispersants can also cause health effects.

If you are concerned that you have been exposed to oil or dispersants, see your doctor. Health care providers can find more information on CDC’s oil spill web site at http://emergency.cdc.gov/gulfoilspill2010.

Air Quality & Home Heating Oil Liquid & Fume Hazards

Our field investigation experience as well as a review of a responsible oil company's No. 2 home heating oil MSDS [Material Data Safety Sheet from HESS Corporation] and oil spill guidelines from several sources including the US EPA and state regulatory agencies provide anecdotal and other evidence that the elderly, infants, or people who are in fragile health, as well as people who suffer from multiple chemical sensitivity, allergies, asthma, and some other respiratory conditions may experience more serious symptoms including asthma attacks and other complaints.

The following is quoted from ATSDR's Public Health Statement for Fuel Oils and represents the best summary of this question that we have found:

"We know very little of the human health effects caused by fuel oils. Daily use of a kerosene stove for cooking should not cause any breathing problems for most people. People who use kerosene stoves to cook do not have more colds than people who have other types of stoves. Breathing moderate amounts of deodorized kerosene (fuel oil no. 1) has been shown to slightly affect the ability to smell and to cause a taste sensation.

Numerous case-studies have reported accidental poisoning in children as the result of drinking kerosene. These accidents are probably much more frequent in areas where kerosene is commonly used for cooking and heating.

Drinking kerosene may cause vomiting, diarrhea, swelling of the stomach, stomach cramps, coughing, drowsiness, restlessness, irritability, and unconsciousness; also, it may be difficult to breathe, and breathing may be painful.

Coughing, pneumonia, and difficult or painful breathing after drinking kerosene suggest that kerosene has entered the lungs. In addition, drinking large amounts of kerosene can put you into a coma, cause convulsions, and may even cause death. When kerosene gets on your skin for short periods, it can make your skin itchy, red, and sore; sometimes blisters may occur and your skin may peel.

"Breathing fuel oil no. 1 vapor for periods as short as 1 hour may make you feel nauseous, increase your blood pressure, be irritating to your eyes, or make your eyes bloodshot. Breathing kerosene or JP-5 vapors can also affect your nervous system.

Some of the effects of exposure to heating oil vapors that have been noted in case studies include headache, light-headedness, anorexia (loss of appetite), poor coordination, and difficulty concentrating. Breathing diesel fuel vapors for a long time may damage your kidneys, increase your blood pressure, or lower your blood's ability to clot. Constant skin contact (for example, washing) with diesel fuel may also damage your kidneys.

"It appears that repeated contact with fuel oils can cause skin cancer in mice and may cause liver cancer in mice. However, there is some conflicting information. Further, the fuel oils were tested only on mice. We do not know if fuel oils can cause cancer in humans.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has determined that residual (heavy) fuel oils and marine diesel fuel are possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B classification). In addition, IARC considers that there is not enough information (Group 3 classification) available to determine if distillate (light) fuel oils or distillate (light) diesel fuels cause cancer.

They have also determined that occupational exposures to fuel oils during petroleum refining are probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A classification). We do not know if fuel oils can cause birth defects or if they affect reproduction."

Several U.S. states including the Connecticut department of health provides a fact sheet on home heating oil spills that includes the advice that homeowners should avoid both breathing heating oil fumes and skin contact with heating oil. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services offers similar advice.

The US ATSDR (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry) also provides a Public Health Statement for Fuel Oils and related documents including Heating Oil Exposure Health Effects and ATSDRs section on Heating Oil Chemical Properties.

MSDS [Material Safety Data Sheet] information for No. 2 Home Heating Oil

Here we summarize the basic information provided on MSDS sheets (material data safety sheets) for home heating oil. This information is a condensation of the full MSDS information on heating oil - readers should be sure to review the full home heating oil MSDS.

See MSDS Sheet for HOME HEATING OIL for our full article on this topic, including exposure limits for exposure to home heating oil in liquid or gas form.

A typical No. 2 home heating oil MSDS document provided by Hess Corporation includes the hazard identification information for home heating oil that we list below. The same document provides information about toxicity levels - the exposure necessary for serious medical effects to be at risk or to actually occur.

Watch out: Fire and Explosion Hazards of No. 2 Home Heating Oil [fumes]: OSHA and NFPA Class 2 COMBUSTIBLE LIQUID (see Section 14 for transportation classification). Vapors may be ignited rapidly when exposed to heat, spark, open flame or other source of ignition. When mixed with air and exposed to an ignition source, flammable vapors can burn in the open or explode in confined spaces. Being heavier than air, vapors may travel long distances to an ignition source and flash back. Runoff to sewer may cause fire or explosion hazard.

Crude Oil Material Data Safety Sheet - Crude Oil MSDS

The Crude Oil MSDS identifies the key components in crude oil and discusses crude oil hazards, health effects from over exposure, chronic exposure to crude oil, and other information.

See MSDS Sheet for CRUDE OIL for a good summary of crude oil exposure hazards and accidental spill procedures.

This Crude Oil MSDS from Martin Marietta Materials Corp. provides health, safety, exposure, and toxicological as well as ecological information. Important basic crude oil exposure protection advice is included for persons responding to accidental release (a crude oil spill).

This Crude Oil MSDS from El Paso Corp is provided by the El Paso Corporation. The El Paso Crude Oil MSDS indicates that Toxicological and Ecological information were unavailable in this document last revised 06/26/2007.

Crude Oil Dispersant Material Data Safety Sheets - Corexit and Other Dispersants

See our full discussion of crude oil dispersants at MSDS Sheets for OIL DISPERSANTS or go directly to the individual crude oil dispersant MSDS material safety data sheets listed just below.:

In addition to the MSDS links for Corexit products shown here, we have edited the Complete US EPA Table of Crude Oil Dispersants to add links to individual crude oil dispersant product MSDS in the original US EPA Dispersant list.

The MSDS Material Data Safety Sheet For Corexit 9500 crude oil dispersant is here.
The MSDS Material Safety Data Sheet for COREXIT^® EC9527A crude oil dispersant is here - 2008 PDF document
The MSDS Material Data Safety Sheet For Corexit 9527 crude oil dispersant is here - older 1992 version in text format
The MSDS Material Data Safety Sheet For Corexit 9580 crude oil dispersant is here.
The MSDS Material Data Sheet For Dispersit SPC 1000® oil dispersant. U.S. Polychemical, provides general product description at their website. U.S. Polychemical was kind enough to provide us with the copy of the MSDS for Dispersit® linked-to here.

"May 19, 2010 Addendum 2 to Dispersant Monitoring and Assessment Directive ("Addendum 2")", to Rear Admiral Mary Landry, Commander, Eighth Cost Guard District, New Orleans LA, and Samuel Coleman, P.E., Director, Superfund Division, Dallas TX, from Douglas J. Suggles, B.P. - letter, PDF (U.S. EPA) discusses a comparison of available oil dispersants and the company's basis for choosing Corexit as the dispersant of choice in the circumstances of the Gulf Oil Spill. The letter makes plain that the need for a quick response combined with the availability of Corexit for that choice.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about home heating oil exposure hazards & limits

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Technical Reviewers & References

Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.

Christopher O. Orubu, Ayodele Odusola, William Ehwarieme, "The Nigerian Oil Industry: Environmental Diseconomies, Management Strategies, and the Need for Community Involvement", J. Hum. Ecol., 16(3): 203-214 (2004) [PDF] - original source: http://www.krepublishers.com/02-Journals/JHE/JHE-16-0-000-000-2004-Web
/JHE-16-3-151-226-2004-Abst-PDF/JHE-16-3-203-214-2004-1168-Orubu-C-O/JHE-16-3-203-214-2004-
Orubu-C-O.pdf
"Toxicological profile for fuel oils", U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Atlanta, GA 1995. - http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp75.html
Public Health Statement for Fuel Oils, ATSDR, (the full document original source can be found at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/phs75.html). An excerpt from this document is just below. ATSDR,
Division of Toxicology, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32, Atlanta, GA 30333 888-422-8737.
Heating Oil Exposure Health Effects - The ATSDR section on health effects of exposure to heating oil see-ATSDR
No. 2 Home Heating Oil Chemical Properties - ATSDR data on the chemistry and composition of No. 2 home heating oil and of kerosene
Potential for Human Exposure to Heating Oil - ATSDR
Regulations and Advisories Pertaining to Fuel Oil - ATSDR data on how exposure limits for heating oil were derived, a table of international and national (U.S.) regulations governing fuel oil,
Home Heating Oil Spills, Fact Sheet, Connecticut Department of Public Health
"Home Heating Oil Spills", Wisconsin Department of Health, at http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/eh/Air/fs/Oilspill.htm
Institute of Medicine of the National Acadamies, "Assessing the Human Health Effects of the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill: An Institute of Medicine Workshop", New Orleans LA, 22-23 June 2010, - web search 07/24/2010 original source: http://www.iom.edu/Activities/PublicHealth/OilSpillHealth/2010-JUN-22.aspx - Quoting:
The Institute of Medicine serves as adviser to the nation to improve health.
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) is an independent, nonprofit organization that works outside of government to provide unbiased and authoritative advice to decision makers and the public.
Established in 1970, the IOM is the health arm of the National Academy of Sciences, which was chartered under President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. Nearly 150 years later, the National Academy of Sciences has expanded into what is collectively known as the National Academies, which comprises the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the National Research Council, and the IOM.
IOM Phone (202) 334-2352 IOM Email: iomwww@nas.edu
Occupational Exposures in Petroleum Refining; Crude Oil and Major Petroleum Fuels, IARC - World Health Organization, 1/21/1998. This monograph is available at http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol45/volume45.pdf and it includes a chapter
FUEL OILS (HEATING OILS) Residual (heavy) fuel oils (Group 2B) and Distillate (light) fuel oils (Group 3) that describes heating oil exposure data, concluding "Residual (heavy) fuel oils are possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B)." To search the IARC monographs on various environmental concerns and carcinogens, use http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/PDFs/index.php
"MSDS for No. 2 Fuel Oil - home heating oil", Hess Corporation, 1 Hess Plaza, Woodbridge, NJ 07095-0961 Original Source: www.hess.com/ehs/msds/0088No2FuelOil.pdf 07/01/2007
"MSDS for No. 4 Fuel Oil - home heating oil", Hess Corporation, 1 Hess Plaza, Woodbridge, NJ 07095-0961 Original Source: www.hess.com/ehs/msds/0088No2FuelOil.pdf 07/01/2007
Crude Oil MSDS from Martin Marietta Materials Corp., November 2007, Martin Marietta Materials, 2710 Wycliff Road, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607-3033 Effective Date: 8-07 (919) 781-4550, original source: http://www.martinmarietta.com/products/MSDS-CrudeOil.pdf
MSDS for Crude Oil, El Paso Corporation, and its subsidiaries Information: (713) 420-2600
1001 Louisiana Street CHEMTREC: (800) 424-9300 Houston, Texas 77002, original source 4/230/10 http://www.elpaso.com/msds/A0017-Crude%20Oil.pdf
MRL - Minimum risk level: this is an estimate of the level of daily human exposure to a substance such that the exposure is probably not an appreciable risk for adverse effects (noncancer) over a specified exposure time period.
"Agency Orders Use of a Less Toxic Chemical in Gulf", Campbell Robertson, Elisabeth Rosenthal, The New York Times, May 20, 2010, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/21/science/earth/21disperse.html?scp=1&sq=corexit&st=cse
Nalco Energy Services, L.P. P.O. Box 87, Sugar Land, Texas 77487-0087, 281)263-7000, www.nalco.com
"Is Delaware Bay Seafood Safe to Eat?", University of Delaware, College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, http://www.ceoe.udel.edu/oilspill/seafood.html
"Clean-up workers risk health problems from oil spill", Emma Ashburn, Reuters News Service, 23 June 2010 - web search 6/23/2010
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - US CDC, "What to Expect from the Oil Spill and How to Protect Your Health", web search 17 June 2010 - original source http://emergency.cdc.gov/gulfoilspill2010/what_to_expect.asp
U.S. EPA - environmental Protection Agency, List of Approved Oil Dispersants - Web Search 06/13/2010 - original source http://www.epa.gov/oem/content/ncp/tox_tables.htm
U.S. Polychemical of Spring Valley, N.Y., makes dispersant Dispersit SPC 1000 - Web Search 06/13/2010: Dispersant SPC 1000 specifications sheet - see http://www.uspoly.com/disspec.html

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