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Photograph of parts this leaking oil tankCrude Oil, Diesel Fuel & Heating Oil Exposure Effects
Heating Oil Exposure Limits, Health Hazards

Heating oil & crude oil exposure limits & health effects: this article describes the exposure limits for home heating oil and for crude oil exposure in both exposure limits for oil fumes and exposure limits for contact with heating oil or crude oil.

To understand 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.

Exposure limits are discussed for heating oil, fuel oil, diesel fuel, and crude oil.

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

Leaky oil tank (C) Daniel Friedman

These questions and answers about the safety limits of exposure to heating oil or heating oil fumes were posted originally at HEATING OIL EXPOSURE HAZARDS, LIMITS - be sure to review that article.

On 2018-11-08 by (mod) - what causes oil burner smell when the system turns on?

A puff-back during ignition of the oil burner, because of an operating problem such as

- needs service or cleaning

- bad nozzle or electrodes or transformer

- inadequate draft

- inadquate combustion air

Watch out: left un-repaired the problem can become more-severe, ultimately leading to loss of heat or worse, a puffback explosion.

See OIL BURNER SOOT & PUFFBACKS for details.

On 2018-11-08 by janice robertson

what would cause a strong smell of oil when furnace starts up?

On 2018-10-26 by (mod) - see your doctor about vomiting after exposure to heating oil fumes

Anon

I would take your daughter to your family physician, discuss your concerns, and let her refer you to a specialist in environmental medicine if you and your doc agree on further evaluation.

On 2018-10-26 by Anonymous

My 2 year old daughter was exposed to oil fumes over the course of a week ( neighbors oil tank leaked while on holidays ) , and she vomited randomly over the course and we used to get a whiff jolt now and then , only the door was opened in her room during the day and closed at night when they would build up .

The source was found and the solvent levels in her room were tested and were very high coz the ground outside her room was soaking .

I’m sleepless thinking of the long term effects , she hasn’t vomited since weve moved her , but thinking back , she was falling a lot more than usual during this time . I’m so concerned , what Can I test for or check with her ? Thanks in advance , g

On 2018-01-04 by (mod) - heavy heating oil under a floor in an old factory building I rented

Scot

One can't assess your exposure from a text message, but there are oil exposure guidelines in the article above on this page

On 2018-01-04 by Scot

For three years there was heating oil heavy heating oil under a floor in an old factory building I rented. I don’t know if the landlord knew about it but we found out upon moving out. We are wondering what are the long-term symptoms of being exposed to heating oil fumes such as these

On 2016-12-20 by (mod) - consultants who can't smell odors themselves may be unreliable

Ian

An engineer who "deals with the smell on a daily basis" may in fact have become de-sensitized to the odor of heating oil - I agree with you on that point.

There are various broad-spectrum instruments made by quite a few companies - all of which can detect various gases including fuel oil fumes - you'll want to call Draeger, RKI, etc. to discuss which instrument is appropriate; beware that unless you have independent assessments by a neutral professional you may still run into obstructin.

I'd prefer that you first focus on immediate safety hazards such as a chimney safety inspection by a certified chimney sweep.

An oil smell may persist even when the equipment is off but if you smell the odor more when the equipment is running that raises a safety concern.

On 2016-12-20 by IanH

Hi, had a long running issue with a continual smell of Kerosense 28 in kitchen where the oil fired boiler is.

This is in a new bungalow that is 2 years old. Boiler has had so many visits from house builder contractors who have done all but remove it, check for leaks and seapage maybe replace concrete if soiled etc but they are still pushing back.

Problem is that the smell is very strong and had OFTEC engineer who couldn't smell anything as he deals with the smell on a daily basis.

Bit like someone who works in a sewage works and their sense of smell gets used to what would be overpowering for a visitor. So question I have is, is there any device or service that can detect such smells so that proof can be offered up? Smells can be subjective but it really does smell. Thanks in advance.

On 2016-12-14 by (mod) - oil company who spills oil during a delivery accepts responsibility for the cleanu

Lily,

Usually an oil company who spills oil during a delivery accepts responsibility for the cleanup. Just what's needed depends on where oil was spilled and what materials got oil-soaked.

Oil contaminated soil and gravel are usually removed. Oil soaked into a concrete floor slab in a basement is cleaned and the slab surfaces sealed to control odors.

In rare cases of extreme spills such as a burst oil storage tank indoors or pumping 100 gallons of heating oil into a basement through a broken fill line, a home may be beyond economic repair -that'd be unusual.

There could be respiratory complaints and concerns for an asthmatic as well as others exposed to oil fumes, as discussed in the article above. Do let me know if any of that article is unclear.

On 2016-12-14 by Lily

What is the proper remedy if an oil company spilled fuel oil from their delivery? It affects soil, driveway and basement. Will our house ever be rid of the contaminate? Will there be issues for a child with severe asthma? Thanks.

On 2016-07-04 by (mod) -

MS

Please see the article above where at EXPOSURE to HEATING OIL FUMES from SPILLS we give a detailed reply.

On 2016-07-04 20:56:41.898281 by (mod) -

2016/07/04 M. Setera said:

Neighbor spilled 100 gallons of diesel fuel next to my bedroom window and stood there for 2 weeks. I'm experiencing dizziness and nausea and confusion. Is this from the inhalation of fumes?

Question: odors after removing oil tank

(Apr 28, 2014) Anonymous said:
we removed an old oil tank from our basement,quite a bit leaked out how can we remove the odor from our house

Reply:

Detergent scrubbing, oil spill deodorizer sprays or liquids, dryout, then surface sealing is about as good as you can get. I'd remove whatever materials possible that don't need to be saved.

Beware also that VOCs tend to permeate and hang around in other soft materials like insulation. On occasion the spill is so serious that deodorizing is not successful.

Question: fumes from wood-oil furnace

(Feb 3, 2015) Anonymous said:
We have an older model combination oil/wood furnace (neumac) that is emitting oil fumes on occasion. The repairman suggests that we wait until spring to replace it. In the meantime are the fumes harmful to our health? We are not using the wood burning section at all.

Reply:

Anon the risks of oil fume exposure are described in the article above where you'll also find links to MSDS sheets. The actual risk in a specific situation depends, as do all environmental hazards, on level of the dose and duration of the exposure with additional consideration of individual health sensitivities.

Question: exposed to oil fumes for a long period of time

(Mar 10, 2015) Jodi said:
I have been exposed to oil fumes for a long period of time. What test can my Dr. do and how can I find a lawyer to help me ,because I complained over a year ago about oder and symptoms I was nothing to no avail. Now its confirmed.

Reply:

Jodi,

This is a medical question to take to your doctor first. In my opinion I'd focus first on health. Ask your doctor for a referral to a specialist in environmental medicine or toxicology.

Question: diesel fuel spilled on roof over our office: long term health effects?

(Mar 18, 2016) Maria said:
On Feb 20, 2016, 10-12 gallons of diesel fuel spilled on the roof directly above our office.

What is the "long term health effects" of exposure to these fumes?
Our employer has made attempts to clean up the smell, however, we continue to experience headaches, rhinitis, pharyngitis, eye/head pressure, irritation of the lungs/chest, and nausea.

We would really appreciate the information you can provide us. Thank you.
Maria email: hopplemn@gmail.com

Reply:

Maria

I cannot assess environmental hazards from an oil spill, even a small one, by e-text. For example, if the oil fumes persist over a long time or if the spill contaminates an HVAC system there might be real risks. You need an on-site expert, perhaps an industrial hygienist familiar with the issue.


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