health and safety plan solid waste management unit assessment

JP-4 (JET FUEL 4)
headache, nausea, pain upon inhalation, feelings of suffocation, slight
cough and palpitations. Thirteen subjects also reported fatigue during
and after work. No significant differences were seen at different
exposure levels. Among chronic neurasthenic symptoms, the most obvious
differences between control and exposed workers were fatigue, depressed
mood, lack of initiative, dizziness, palpitations, thoracic oppression,
sleep disturbances and headaches. In psychological tests, the exposed
subjects had a greater irregularity of performance on a test of complex
reaction time; a greater performance decrement over time in a simple
reaction time task and poorer performance in a task of perceptual speed
when compared to the non-exposed subjects. There vas also a significant
difference between the groups when EEC's were ranked as to
configuration of alpha activity. Symptoms indicative of polyneuropathy
(e.g., restless legs, muscle cramps, diffuse pain in the extremities,
paresthesia, numbness) occurred with a higher prevalence in exposed
workers. Measurements of peripheral nerve functions indicated
differences in exposed workers vs. non-exposed groups. The same group
of investigators conducted similar studies in other jet fuel workers
and obtained similar results (1926-1928).
In a study on the effects of jet fuel on liver function, Dossing
ai A. (1925) found no changes in the biochemical indices of liver
injury in 91 fuel-filling attendants employed on Danish air force bases
for periods up to 31 years (median - 7.6 years). The median jet fuel
concentration was 31 mg/m3 with a range of 1 to 1020 mg/m3.
64.3.3 Toxicology of JP-4 Components
A brief overview of the toxicology of the major hydrocarbon
components of JP-4 (see Table 64-4) are summarized below. ' The acute
toxicity values for these components are presented in Table 64-6.
n- exane
Hexane may be the most highly toxic member of the alkanes. When
ingested, it causes nausea, vertigo, bronchial and general intestinal
irritation and CNS effects. It also presents an acute aspiration
hazard. Acute exposure occurs primarily through inhalation.
Non-specific symptoms such as vertigo, headache, nausea and vomiting
are the first to be manifested. At high concentrations, a
narcosis-like state appears as a result of CNS depression.
Pre-narcotic symptoms occur at vapor concentrations ranging from
1500-2500 ppm. n-Hexane irritates the eyes and mucous membranes.
These effects can be seen after an exposure of 880 ppm for 15 minutes.
Skin contact primarily causes fat removal and cutaneous irritation.
Chronic exposure to n-hexane vapors causes paripheral neuropathy.'
The first clinical sign of neural damage is a feeling of numbness in
the toes and fingers. Progression leads to further symmetrical sensory
impairment in the distal portions of the extremities and to loss of
muscular stretching reflexes. Ultimately, symmetrical muscular
weakness develops, chiefly in the distal portion of the extremities.
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